Nike plans to cut 775 distribution jobs in Tennessee and Mississippi, impacting the Memphis logistics region

Workforce reductions target Nike’s U.S. distribution network

Nike is moving ahead with plans to eliminate about 775 jobs tied primarily to its U.S. distribution center operations in Tennessee and Mississippi, a decision that is expected to affect the broader Memphis-area logistics labor market. The job cuts are part of a restructuring focused on consolidating distribution operations and increasing the use of automation and advanced technology inside warehouses.

The company has described the changes as a supply chain “footprint” adjustment intended to streamline operations, accelerate technology adoption and invest in workforce skills aligned with future logistics needs. The positions affected are concentrated in warehouse and distribution roles.

Automation and “advanced technology” cited as core drivers

The planned reductions come as Nike reshapes how products are received, stored and shipped, with an emphasis on greater automation across material handling and order processing. In large-scale distribution environments, technology upgrades can include increased use of robotics, automated storage and retrieval, and software systems that optimize inventory placement and picking routes.

In operational terms, the shift suggests Nike is seeking lower unit handling costs and faster throughput, while reducing complexity across a distribution network that expanded in recent years to support direct-to-consumer growth.

Part of a broader corporate reset under CEO Elliott Hill

The distribution-center cuts fit within a wider multi-year effort to simplify Nike’s organizational structure and restore revenue growth. Elliott Hill became chief executive in October 2024, and Nike has since continued to adjust staffing and management design as it navigates intensifying competition in athletic footwear and apparel.

In the past two years, Nike has announced or carried out other workforce actions, including a global staff reduction initiative in early 2024 and additional corporate restructuring steps in 2025. As of its most recently reported workforce figures, Nike employed roughly 77,800 people worldwide.

What it could mean for the Memphis-area labor market

Memphis is a national logistics hub with a dense concentration of distribution and transportation employers. Job changes at major warehouse operators can reverberate through local labor supply, particularly for roles such as:

• Order pickers, packers and shipping associates
• Forklift and materials-handling operators
• Inventory control and returns processing staff
• On-site operations support and shift supervision

Nike has not publicly detailed a facility-by-facility breakdown of the 775 positions, the timing of individual separations, or how work will be redistributed among remaining sites. The announcement nonetheless underscores the pace at which automation is changing warehouse staffing needs, especially at high-volume distribution centers serving national e-commerce and wholesale networks.

Across the warehousing sector, technology-led redesigns are increasingly tied to staffing levels, job mix and required skills rather than solely to demand fluctuations.

Further details are expected to emerge through required employment notifications and company communications to affected teams.