Image: Reuters Berita 24 English - Nike Inc, the world's largest sportswear business, announced on Wednesday that it will phase out its ...
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| Image: Reuters |
On Wednesday morning, the American sportswear company informed its mainland China app users of the news and thanked them for their support.
It did not specify a rationale for the decision, but a business representative told Reuters that in the future, it aimed to offer Chinese runners a "improved and localized solution."
In certain regions, Nike offers the app, which allows users to monitor their runs and challenge others to compete. China, the company's most profitable market, with more than 8 million users.
"Thank you for running with us every time!" Nike stated in a statement.
"We regret to inform you that NRC APP will cease service and functioning in your market on July 8."
According to Reuters, Nike is continuing to invest in China's Nike Sport Marketplace.
"To better support athletes, we're building an ecosystem from China for China, precisely customized to the region's distinct consumer needs," a business spokeswoman stated.
"In the future, we will continue to provide Chinese runners with an enhanced and specialized digital solution."
Other U.S. internet companies, such as Linkedin and Yahoo, have stopped or reduced service to mainland Chinese customers in the last year, citing reasons ranging from censorship to increased compliance requirements.
China has imposed new restrictions on internet corporations in areas such as content, as well as new regulations, such as one on personal data protection, to protect users' data privacy.
On the Weibo social media network, posts on the NRC app's closure received over 70,000 views, with many users disappointed by the service's demise.
"I've been using the app for seven years, and it's going away like this," one user expressed his disappointment.
"Every step I've taken has been recorded here," another Weibo user stated, before adding three teary emojis to the conclusion of the post.
(The first paragraph of this item has been updated to reflect that the app will be withdrawn in July, not Wednesday.)
