Teens are abandoning Under Armour in droves — and it's turning into a huge crisis for the brand (UA)

pulse

April 10, 2018 4:48 PM

Under Armour isn't gaining any steam with teens in apparel or footwear, according to Piper Jaffray's most recent teen survey.

On Tuesday, it had its worst performance in Piper Jaffray's "Taking Stock of Teens" survey yet.
It is the brand that's most often cited by upper-income males as one they no longer wear.

Under Armour has been losing cachet among teens for a while now. In a 2017 survey of young male consumers by Wells Fargo, Under Armour shoes ranked near the bottom in terms of favorability.

Under Armour shoe sales basically flatlined last year. The basketball star Kevin Durant, signed with rival Nike, said in an interview in August that "everybody knows" that "nobody wants to play in Under Armours."

Shoes are a core business for athletic brands — they account for 65% of Nike's sales but are just 20% of Under Armour's business.

Under Armour has recently tried to "reignite" it shoe business with the launch of its Hovr platform, which had a splashy launch and an initial performance that impressed analysts.

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