Sportswear retailer Nike has completed the acquisition of US-based retail predictive analytics and demand sensing firm Celect.
Established in 2013, Celect has an intellectual property portfolio across data science and software engineering.
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The company’s cloud-based analytics platform offers hyper-local demand predictions to enable retailers to optimise inventory across their omnichannel portfolio.
The deal is expected to strengthen the retailer’s Consumer Direct Offense strategy and allow it to serve consumers more personally.
Nike chief operating officer Eric Sprunk said: “With the acquisition of Celect, Nike greatly accelerates our digital advantage by adding a platform developed by world-class data scientists.
“As demand for our product grows, we must be insight-driven, data optimised and hyper-focused on consumer behaviour. This is how we serve consumers more personally at scale.”
As part of the deal, the athletic wear retailer will integrate Celect’s team into its global operations team.
Celect co-founders will continue as tenured professors at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology to offer consulting services.
Celect CEO John Andrews said: “We’re thrilled to be joining the Nike team, adding our unique and innovative capabilities to the data and analytics foundation they’ve been building over the years.”
Nike offers athletic footwear, apparel, equipment and accessories for various sports and fitness activities.
In November last year, the retailer opened a new Nike NYC House of Innovation concept store at 650 Fifth Ave. in New York City.
