Tokyo-bred footwear retailer atmos on Wednesday announced plans to close its three North American stores and cease its online operations in the region. The company, which is owned by Foot Locker, stated that decision reflects a strategic move to focus its attention on the Japanese and Asian markets.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe atmos brand has a unique and authentic identity, character and spirit. Given the strength of atmos in Japan and Asia, we are focused on further investing in this market. Though in line with this focus and our plans for simplification, we have made the strategic decision to close our three atmos stores in North America and our atmos U.S. website,\u201d said Patrick Walsh, atmos’ senior vice president and general manager, in a statement via WWD<\/em>.<\/p>\n \u201cWe are confident that this is the right move for atmos and will help us continue to work in service of bringing sneaker and street culture to our customers in Asia,” he added.<\/p>\n Established in Harajuku, Tokyo, in 2000, atmos began as a small sneaker store selling predominantly vintage silhouettes. Over the last two decades, the retailer has sprouted into an internationally-recognized streetwear and sneaker boutique, facilitating a number of collaborations with the likes of adidas, ASICS, New Balance, Salomon and, most notably, Nike Air Max.<\/p>\n atmos later expanded its brick-and-mortar presence in the United States with three stores in New York, Philadelphia and Washington, D.C. In August of 2021, Foot Locker purchased the company, alongside footwear chain WSS, in a deal valued at $1.1 billion USD. Notably, atmos accounted for $360 million USD of that figure.<\/p>\n Earlier this year, Foot Locker’s CEO, Mary Dillon, revealed the company’s four-part strategy to achieve $9.5 billion USD in sales by 2026, with atmos providing a platform for innovation in Japan. In August, however, the company reported a 9.9% decrease in sales for the second quarter; and atmos, specifically, saw a 10% decline in composite sales during the same period.<\/p>\n