SOURCE: NETSCAPE
Adidas Takes on Nike with U.S. Deal
By Ulf Laessing
FRANKFURT (Reuters) - German sports goods firm Adidas-Salomon sees a recovery with rising sales in its key U.S. market, it said on Tuesday, as it took on archrival Nike on its home turf by sponsoring the U.S. soccer league.
Adidas Chief Executive Herbert Hainer said at an investors' meeting that he expected a "noticeable" sales rise in the key U.S. market in 2005 with profitability also rising.
Adidas, known for its trademark three-striped shoes, also predicted a 3-5 percent rise in U.S. sales in the current year with a double-digit percentage growth in 2006.
Overall, the world's second-largest sports goods maker expects sales of its soccer-related products around the globe to exceed
