German sportswear company Adidas AG said Wednesday its fourth quarter net income declined 64 percent to €19 million ($26 million) on rising purchasing costs, currency effects and a drop in demand during the downturn. The Herzogenaurach-based company earned €54 million in net income during the October-December period of 2008. Revenue for the quarter was steady around €2.5 billion. For the whole of 2009, net income fell 62 percent to €245 million from €642 million. Revenue in 2009 fell 6 percent to €10.4 billion from €10.8 billion. Adidas, the world's second largest sportswear company by sales after Nike Inc., said rising purchasing costs and currency effects were the main reasons for the decline in net income. “With no doubt, 2009 was the most difficult year during my time as chief executive,” Herbert Hainer said in the report. “However, we rose to the challenge. Despite a 53 percent decline in operating profit, we generated a 141 percent increase in net cash from operations for a record €1.2 billion. This is definitely the outstanding achievement of the year and a credit to all the hard work and dedication of our employees,” Hainer said. Hainer said Adidas was starting the new year with growing optimism and aiming for a sales increase, partly pushed by this year's football World Cup in South Africa. During the last World Cup in 2006, hosted by Germany, Adidas was able to add more than €1 billion to its top line.
