adidas to shift some production from Asia in robot revolution

adidas announced plans to revolutionize the way it manufactures goods to speed up production and allow shoppers to customize more shoes and clothes, to help it accelerate sales and profit growth over the next five years.

The German sportswear firm, which has been losing ground for years to fast-growing rival Nike, said it was testing automated production units that would allow it to shift manufacturing from Asia closer to consumers and even into stores, where shoppers will be able to personalize their goods.

“We will bring production back to Europe. We will bring production back to where the main markets are,” said Chief Executive Herbert Hainer, adding the current six weeks it took to ship from Asia to Europe was too long.