Kanye West Debacle Leads To Adidas' First Annual Loss In Decades

BYAlexander Cole2.1K Views
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adidas + KANYE WEST New Partnership Announcement
HOLLYWOOD, CA - JUNE 28: Kanye West at Milk Studios on June 28, 2016 in Hollywood, California. adidas and Kanye West announce the future of their partnership: adidas + KANYE WEST (Photo by Jonathan Leibson/Getty Images for ADIDAS)
It has not been a good year for Adidas.

Kanye West and his Yeezy brand have been having a renaissance as of late. Overall, he is selling his products for just $20, and fans have been scooping up as much merch as possible. However, it has been a long rebuild for Ye, who was dropped by Adidas in the Fall of 2022. After all, he was begging to be let go by the brand. He was unhappy with the way he was being treated, and he was hopeful that his contract would be terminated. Meanwhile, he kept spewing anti-semitic talking points which made him a liability to Adidas' image.

Unfortunately for Adidas, letting Ye walk has come with a plethora of negative affects on their business. For instance, the brand has been posting sales losses every single quarter of 2023. In fact, the brand was forced to sell off close to $1 billion of leftover Yeezy products, just to get by. According to CNN, their latest numbers are pretty devastating. In 2023, the brand finished the year with a $63 million annual net loss. This is their first net loss in decades, and the Yeezy partnership's demise is a huge catalyst.

The Kanye West Effect

LOS ANGELES, CA - AUGUST 30: Vanguard Award winner Kanye West speaks onstage during the 2015 MTV Video Music Awards at Microsoft Theater on August 30, 2015 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images)

Adidas is also blaming a large tax bill and poor North American sales for their issues. The brand has struggled in America compared to the rest of the world, and with U.S. inflation on the rise, things have continued to worsen. However, it is expected that things will stabilize for Adidas, moving forward. Only time will tell if they can truly recover.

Let us know what you think about all of this, in the comments section down below. Do you think Adidas would ever take Kanye West back as a means to save face? Additionally, stay tuned to HNHH for the latest news and updates from around the music world. We will continue to keep you informed on all of your favorite artists and their upcoming projects.

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About The Author
Alexander Cole is the current editor-in-chief of HotNewHipHop. He started at HotNewHipHop back in 2018 where he began as a Sports and Sneakers writer. It was here where he began to hone his craft, putting his journalism degree from Concordia University in Montreal, Quebec, to good use. Since that time, he has documented some of the biggest stories in the hip-hop world. From the Kendrick Lamar and Drake beef to the disturbing allegations against Diddy, Alex has helped HotNewHipHop navigate large-scale stories as they happen. In 2021, he went to the Bahamas for the Big 3's Championship Game. It was here where he got to interview legendary figures like Ice Cube, Clyde Drexler, and Stephen Jackson. He has also interviewed other superstar athletes such as Antonio Brown, Damian Lillard, and Paul Pierce. This is in addition to conversations with social media provocateurs like Jake Paul, and younger respected artists like Kaycyy, Lil Tecca, and Jeleel!
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