M&A activity in the active lifestyle space screeched to a halt for a few months following the emergence of COVID-19, but it turned out to be a pause as several major and minor deals were completed in 2020.
Among the blockbuster deals was VF Corp.’s $2.1 billion acquisition of Supreme, the streetwear brand with 12 stores and a cult following. Some investors questioned the growth potential for a brand built on a scarcity model. The biggest purchase in the space appears to have been Mars’ acquisition of Kind Bars in a deal believed to be valued at about $5 billion.
Lululemon surprised investors with its acquisition of at-home exercise equipment maker Mirror for $500 million in cash. The acquisition could further position Lululemon to expand its booming e-commerce business and capture some of Peloton’s momentum. Peloton, which has been struggling to keep its stock levels during the pandemic, agreed to acquire Precor, the fitness equipment giant, for $420 million. The move will give Peloton 625,000 square feet of U.S. manufacturing space and allow it to accelerate the growth of its commercial business.
Fanatics continued to build up its vertical manufacturing capabilities with the acquisitions of WinCraft, the maker of licensed hardgoods, and Vetta Brands, the owner of Top of the World headwear.
On the retail side, Bass Pro, near the close of the year, reached an agreement to acquire Sportsman’s Warehouse for approximately $800 million to bring it several smaller stores that reach smaller markets. J.D. Sports, which marked its entry in the U.S. with the Finish Line acquisition in 2018, bought the 167-unit Shoe Palace Corp. for $325 million, giving the acquisitive U.K.-based retailer a robust geographical footprint out West. At the close of its fiscal year ended February 1, 2020, J.D. Sports’ U.S. operations consisted of 508 stand-alone Finish Line locations, 295 Finish Line in-store shops inside Macy’s, and 11 J.D. locations.
MEC, Canada’s largest outdoor chain, filed for creditor protection and announced in September it was ending its 49-year run as a co-op by selling the business to Los Angeles-based private investment firm Kingswood Capital Management. Amid protests, MEC’s officials said the pandemic’s impact on the already struggling business made the sale necessary. Kingswood has pledged to keep 17 of MEC’s 22 locations open while retaining 75 percent of employees.
Other bigger brands in the active space finding new owners included BOA Technology, Schutt Sports, Marucci Sports, Easton Diamond Sports, Topgolf, Golds Gym, Crossfit, and Canyon Bicycles.
Below is the full list of M&A deals in 2020 that SGB Executive chronicled. Transactions are listed during the month they were officially announced rather than when they closed. Click on the headlines to read more.
»December
- Bass Pro To Acquire Sportsman’s Warehouse
- Blaser Group Acquires Liemke Thermal Optics
- Canyon Bicycles Acquired By Belgium Investor
- Escalade Sports Acquires Rave Sports
- Fanatics Acquires WinCraft
- Kestrel Ballistics Parent Company Acquires Magnetospeed
- JD Sports Acquires Shoe Palace
- Lost Paddle Media Acquires Fishing Trade Shows
- Markwort Sporting Goods Acquires HQ4 Baseball One Hand Training Bat
- Moncler To Acquire Stone Island
- My PT Hub Acquired By EverCommerce
- Patrick Industries Acquires TACO
- Peloton To Acquire Precor
- Retail Ecommerce Ventures Acquires Stein Mart’s IP Assets
- Schutt Sold To Innovatus Capital Partners
- ShoreMaster Acquires Neptune Boat Lifts
- Summit Outdoors Acquires Ghost Blind Industries
- Thor Announces Acquisition Of Luxury RV Manufacturer Tiffin Motorhomes
»November
- Camping World To Acquire Paul Sherry RV In Ohio
- Camping World To Acquire All RV Needs
- Camping World Agrees To Acquire Outlet Recreation
- Camping World To Acquire Noble RV In Minnesota
- Greyrock Capital Acquires Kahunaverse Sports Group
- GSM Outdoors Acquired By Gridiron Capital
- Kind Bars Acquired By Mars
- MarineMax Acquires SkipperBud’s And Affiliates
- NPD Group Acquires Pricing Excellence
- Therabody Acquires RP Sports
- VF Corp. To Acquire Supreme
»October
- Callaway To Jump Into Sports-Entertainment Business With Topgolf Acquisition
- Escalade Sports Acquires American Heritage Billiards
- Fiocchi Acquires Ammo Maker Baschieri & Pellagri
- 4FRNT Skis Acquired By Investor Group
- GSM Outdoors Acquires GPS Bags
- Hodgdon Acquires Ramshot, Accurate And Blackhorn 209
- International Sports Sciences Association Acquires NCCPT
- JackRabbit Parent Completes Acquisition Of Shoes.com
- MarineMax Acquires SkipperBud’s
- Pocket Outdoor Media Acquires Big Stone Publishing
- Rawlings To Become Even Bigger Baseball Powerhouse With Easton Diamond Sports Acquisition
- Roundhill Group Purchases Remington Firearms
- Toca Football Announces Acquisition Of Kids In Sports
- True Fitness Technology Acquires Octane Fitness
- True Sports Acquires Lefevre
- StreetTrend Acquires European Fashion Sneaker Brand P448 SpA
- Sturm, Ruger Inc. To Acquire Marlin Firearms Assets
»September
- ABC Financial Acquires Trainerize
- Chumash Capital Investments Acquires Azimuth Technology, LLC
- CODI To Acquire BOA Technology
- Fanatics Acquires Vetta Brands Assets To Expand Headwear Business
- Foot Solutions Acquires Noene America
- Halo Foods Acquired By Peak Rock Capital
- Hilo Nutrition Acquired By PE Firm
- GNC To Be Sold To China’s Largest Drug Maker
- MEC To Be Acquired By U.S. PE Firm
- Sierra Bullets To Acquire Assets Of Barnes Bullets
- Team Wendy To Be Acquired By Avon Rubber
- Sportsman’s Warehouse Acquires Two More Field & Stream Stores
»August
- Aptean Acquires Innovative Systems
- EcoVessel Acquires U-Konserve
- Hurley Family Acquires Simple Footwear Brand
- Logo Brands Acquires Boelter Brands Drinkware
- PrestoSports Announces Acquisition Of ScoreShots
- Retail Ecommerce Ventures Acquires Modell’s Trademarks For $3.7 Million
- Simon, Authentic Brands To Acquire Lucky Brand
- Skirt Sports Acquired By Zooma Women’s Race Series
- Simon, Authentic Brands To Acquire Lucky Brand
- TruFood Manufacturing Acquires Simply Natural Foods
- United Sports Brands Acquires Glukos Energy
- Vertikal Brands Acquires Higdon Outdoors
- Wild Things Gear Sold To National Safety Apparel
»July
- A1Supplements Acquired By Gotham Cigars
- Alex Brands Acquired By Out There First
- Apollo Creative Acquires Inside Archery, Bowhunt America
- Berkshire Partners Joins With Eric Roza To Acquire CrossFit
- The Complete Paddler Acquired By Nova Craft Canoe
- Dr. Emil Nutrition Acquired By Brand Holdings
- EVent Fabrics Acquired By Hong Kong Company
- Gold’s Gym To Be Acquired By Berlin’s RSG Group
- GSM Outdoors Acquires Skull Hooker
- Head Acquires Zoggs
- Mavic Acquired By French Investment Group
- Siege Sports Acquired By PE Firm
»June
- BeaverFit Acquires Mobile Fitness Equipment
- Catsports Acquires Sports Equipment Of Toronto Ltd.
- Dynamic Brands Acquires Haas-Jordan
- Garmin Acquires Firstbeat Analytics
- Lululemon To Acquire Mirror Fitness System For $500 Million
- Opkix Inc. To Acquire The PogoCam Brand
- Pocket Outdoor Media Acquires Three Divisions From Active Interest Media
- SweatWorks Acquires WodRocket
»May
- J&B Importers Purchases Pure Cycles
- Monte Rosa Sports Acquires Odlo International
- Northland Fishing Tackle Acquires Bagley Bait Company
»April
- American Pacific Acquires SaltStick
- Bench Sold To Wraith
- Century Boats Acquires Vanquish Boats
- Exxel Outdoors Acquires Outdoor Apparel And Gear Brand Compass 360
- Protempo U.S. Acquires Outdoor Tech
- TrueCoach Acquired By TSG
- Vicis Acquired By Innovatus Capital Partners
»March