Image copyright Getty Images

Sportswear retailer Nike is to stop sales through Amazon so it can focus on selling directly to customers.

Nike said it would continue to invest in "distinctive" partnerships with other retailers and platforms.

It marks the end of a pilot that Nike began with Amazon in 2017.

According to Bloomberg, Amazon has been preparing for the move, recruiting third-party sellers with Nike products so that the merchandise is still available on the site.

Analysts said it was a sign that Nike was seeking greater control of its brand.

Nike said: "As part of Nike's focus on elevating consumer experiences through more direct, personal relationships, we have made the decision to complete our current pilot with Amazon Retail.

"We will continue to invest in strong, distinctive partnerships for Nike with other retailers and platforms to seamlessly serve our consumers globally.

"We will continue to partner with Amazon Web Services to power a suite of services on Nike.com and within Nike's ecosystem of apps."

Maureen Hinton, retail research director at Global Data, said: "It's a case of Nike wanting complete control of its brand".

She said customers using Amazon often had the impression they were getting a discounted price.

However, while not many retailers could resist using Amazon, Nike was a "huge global brand and sports brands have a huge amount of power".

Amazon declined to comment.