Nike's new CEO will likely focus on repairing relations with retailers to boost demand, a strategy that took a back seat under outgoing chief John Donahoe, industry experts said on Friday.

Nike, struggling from rising competition and its own strategy mistakes, is making a major shakeup. The athletic giant announced Thursday that CEO John Donahoe will retire next month and will be replaced by Elliott Hill, a veteran former Nike executive.

Nike said Thursday that its president and CEO John Donahoe is retiring and will be replaced by a former senior executive, Elliott Hill. Why it matters: The sportswear giant warned in June of flagging sales and Axios' Hope King noted then that Nike's innovation and distribution strategies had struggled to win budget-conscious consumers or beat back growing competition.

Nike (NYSE:NKE) turned some heads on Thursday by announcing that CEO John Donahoe will step down to be replaced by Elliott Hill. Hill spent his caree