The athletic apparels giant has announced it is relocating its Niketown store on East 57th Street to a new space five blocks away come Spring–despite its current lease not expiring for another five years, reports Crain’s. So why the move away from one of the hottest retail avenues in New York City, especially when you’ve committed to paying another five years’ worth of rent? It could have something to do with the fact that the current Niketown space is owned by the Trump Organization, suggests Crain’s:
The Trump Organization declined to comment, but Nike’s move may be the latest sign of how much the Trump brand has declined here: Just before Thanksgiving, the Trump SoHo hotel announced it would shed the presidential moniker at the end of this month. A few weeks prior, the New York Post reported that Dean & DeLuca was canceling plans to open an 18,500-square-foot outlet at the Trump Building at 40 Wall St.
For its part, Nike would not say whether politics was a factor in its upcoming Niketown move.
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