Nike emerges as top apparel pick on Time’s World’s Best Companies of 2025; Novo Nordisk also ranks highly

Time’s annual World’s Best Companies list for 2025 placed Nike at No. 14, making it the highest-ranked company in the Apparel, Footwear & Sporting Goods category and marking a recovery from several challenging years for the brand.

The list, published by Time, also ranked drugmaker Novo Nordisk at No. 15. Nike outpaced luxury conglomerate LVMH, which was listed at No. 21, and athleisure leader Lululemon, which placed at No. 36.

Nike’s rebound follows a period of intensified competition from fast-growing rivals such as On and Hoka and management changes intended to restore the company’s market momentum. Elliott Hill, who became CEO last year, told investors in a June earnings call that Nike would “invest heavily in big sport moments and key product launches to win back our brand voice.” The strategy included leveraging high-profile sport appearances; game-day apparel worn by tennis champions Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner during the summer helped drive a notable uptick in sales, company executives said.

Analysts and industry observers have cited Nike’s renewed focus on marquee sports events and strategic product rollouts as key factors behind its improved perception and commercial performance. The company’s placement on Time’s list reflects both brand strength and recent operational moves to counter share losses to specialized running and performance footwear companies.

Novo Nordisk’s No. 15 ranking comes as the Danish drugmaker extends its leadership in diabetes and obesity treatments. The company’s injectable therapies, including Ozempic and Wegovy, have reshaped markets for diabetes care and weight management. In response to growing competition from rivals such as Eli Lilly, Novo Nordisk is advancing an oral form of semaglutide, executives said.

"When we think about the obesity market in the U.S., everyone knows we're in a competitive environment," David Moore, executive vice president of U.S. operations at Novo Nordisk, said in an August earnings call. "We're still growing. The market's growing." The oral formulation is intended to broaden patient access and help Novo Nordisk maintain market share as new entrants expand offerings.

Time’s World’s Best Companies ranking evaluates firms across sectors for factors including innovation, leadership, and societal impact. Nike’s and Novo Nordisk’s placements on the list underscore different strategic priorities: for Nike, a return to high-visibility sports marketing and product momentum; for Novo Nordisk, extending clinical innovation and commercial reach amid intensifying rivalry in obesity treatments.

The 2025 list highlights broader shifts in consumer and health markets. In apparel and footwear, specialized and performance-focused brands have reshaped competition, while in pharmaceuticals, the success of GLP-1–based therapies has prompted rapid product development and industry contests for market dominance. Time’s annual rankings reflect how companies navigate these dynamics through leadership changes, product launches and market positioning.

Both Nike and Novo Nordisk face ongoing tests. Nike must convert renewed visibility into sustained sales growth across apparel and footwear categories as smaller competitors expand. Novo Nordisk must demonstrate that new delivery forms and continued innovation can preserve its lead against aggressive rivals. The companies’ appearances near the top of Time’s list indicate investor and editorial recognition of their recent strategic moves and perceived prospects going into 2026.