Sneaker giant Nike India has more than halved the number of its retail partners, from around 350 to just 150.

The cull is part of a global strategy to reduce the number of physical sale points to focus online and on its own flagship stores. Nike has singled out 12 major cities internationally where it will focus on building brand awareness and market share, including Tokyo and Shanghai, in Asia.

Moving forward, Nike India will work with just a single reseller partner which will operate the brand’s offline stores. Nike will run its own online store.

The consolidation of the NIke India network began in 2016 but has gathered pace in recent months as the international initiative gained a higher profile.