Adidas to close Neo stores in Europe

BERLIN (Reuters) - German sportswear company Adidas <ADSGn.DE> will close 16 stores in Europe for its teen brand Neo, focusing instead on offering its products through wholesale partners in the region, Chief Executive Herbert Hainer said on Wednesday.

While its own Neo stores have helped Adidas test new ways of engaging with young consumers, it has been more successful at selling Neo products through wholesale channels, Hainer told a conference call for journalists.

Hainer said the decision would not affect the some 2,000 Neo stores its franchise partners operates in China, adding that Neo sales, which reached 1 billion euros ($1.15 billion) in 2015, jumped another 60 percent in the first quarter.

(Reporting by Emma Thomasson; Editing by Maria Sheahan)