Adidas has reported that one of its franchise stores in Israel was struck in an attack, but that the outlet was closed at the time and no staff were injured, company executives said during a press conference in Berlin.
Mathieu Sidokpohou, Adidas' chief commercial officer, told journalists that the incident occurred three days earlier. "We had one franchise store in Israel which was hit indeed by an attack three days ago," he said. He added that the store had been closed when the event took place and that no colleagues were impacted.
"Fortunately the store was closed, so we didn’t have any colleague impacted," Sidokpohou said. "So far, business is not the most important thing for us in that region. It’s people first."
The company said the security situation across the region has forced temporary closures or reduced staffing at many outlets. Several stores in Dubai and other major Middle Eastern shopping hubs were either shut for safety reasons or operating with minimal personnel as the conflict between the U.S.-Israel alliance and Iran has affected the area.
Adidas chief executive Bjorn Gulden described staff sheltering at some locations, saying: "We have people currently sitting in shelters."
Adidas employs around 3,000 people at roughly 350 chain and franchise stores across six countries in the region that have been affected by the war. Executives warned that the company expects some revenue impact from stores closed in the Middle East, and from delays on shipments that travel by air through the region.
Gulden and Sidokpohou emphasized that protecting staff is the immediate priority while the business assesses the operational and financial consequences. The company highlighted two specific channels through which its near-term top line could be affected: temporary store closures that reduce retail sales, and interruptions to air freight that slow product deliveries.
Adidas' comments came during the press conference as the situation in the Middle East continued to evolve. The firm did not report any injuries related to the incident at the Israeli franchise store, and reiterated its focus on employee safety in the impacted countries.
Context limitations: The information provided here is limited to remarks made by Adidas executives during the press conference and company statements about affected stores, staff and logistics. No additional operational details or timelines were disclosed by the company at that time.