While SGB Media‘s most-read articles of 2024 include a broad range of topics, brands, market segments, influences, and trends in the active lifestyle market, the SGB Outdoor segment has a clear red line of store closures, bankruptcies, layoffs, the unraveling of one of the market’s largest brand consolidators in the space, and the continued issues plaguing the market’s largest specialty retailer.
For those readers focused on the outdoor market, be sure to bookmark and track the outdoor news of the day on SGB Meda‘s Outdoor home page found here, which includes SGB Outdoor Update, SGB Outdoor Executive, SGB Outdoor Today, and SGB Outdoor Press Releases.
SGB Media has tracked the outdoor market since 2003 through its B.O.S.S. businesses, including the Bike, Outdoor and Snow Sports markets. SGB Outdoor Executive includes archived articles published under The B.O.S.S. Report nameplate since the founding of that publication by SGB Media.
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To read SGB Outdoor Top 25 Most Read articles click on the images or headlines below.
EXEC: Inside Yeti’s Thought Process on the Mystery Ranch Deal
- REI Co-op to Lay Off 357 Non-Store Staff; Forecasts Revenue Decline for 2024
The move sees 357 employees affected, “impacting 200 people at the headquarters, 6 in S&CS, 30 in Experiences, and 121 in our distribution centers,” according to the CEO’s letter obtained by SGB Executive. The senior leadership team will be pared down 22 percent in 2024. - EXEC: Researching Exposures & Effects from PFAs and Consumer Textiles on Human Health
The study provides insights into the measurement of PFAS in various consumer textiles and how they enter the body; however, the pattern of PFAS detection in the evaluated textiles does not fully align with reported human serum levels. - EXEC: Amer Sports IPO Comes Up Short; Some Cite China Concerns
Arc’teryx generated 43 percent of its overall revenues in Greater China in the nine-month YTD period in 2023, while the region only generated 5 percent of sales for Salomon and Wilson. Thirty-six Arc’teryx stores in China accounted for 16.7 percent of global brand revenues for the 2023 YTD period. - Camber Outdoors to Cease Operations in August
The Camber Board and leadership reported it will cease operations in late August 2024 because of “continued industry headwinds combined with the fact that outdoor industry companies are moving beyond the focused workplace tools that Camber Outdoors traditionally has provided.” - EXEC: Columbia Cutting 3 to 5 Percent of U.S. HQ Staff on Lowered 2024 Outlook
Bright spots for 2023 included a 27 percent reduction in inventory that helped the company generate over $600 million in operating cash flows for the year, but a lack in the U.S. market for the Columbia brand and weaker Sorel and Prana performances continue to drag on the business. - EXEC: Sportsman’s Warehouse Kicks Off ‘Spring Reset’ to Clean Inventory, Grow Sales
Wall Street reacted positively to the planned changes, and the Q4 earnings beat as SPWH shares surged 21 percent on Thursday, closing at $3.79 a share. The inventory reduction efforts were said to be $10 million better than planned. - EXEC: Yeti’s New Head of Softgoods Talks Next Steps with Mystery Ranch
Layne Rigney said he is spending most of his time in Bozeman, MT, the home of Mystery Ranch, as he thoroughly assesses the business and how it will integrate with the broader Yeti softgoods business. - Bob’s and EMS to Close Stores, Layoff Employees Amid Financial Struggles
Owned by Los Angeles-based GoDigital Media Group, Bob’s Stores and EMS are closing some stores and will layoff employees beginning June 14 as the company faces liquidity woes. - Study: Out-of-Stocks Drive 66 Percent of Consumers to Another Retailer
“‘Right product, right place, right time’ echoes in every retail conference room. Yet as retailers have expanded their online assortments and marketplaces to attract new customers and traffic, it’s become more challenging to avoid frustrating shoppers when they can’t find their size or their desired item in-store.” - EXEC: S&P Issues Damning Report on the Health of TNF and Vans Parent
S&P Credit Rating analysts lowered their forecast for VF Corp. and now believes the company will have to sell “sizeable brands” to meaningfully reduce leverage in the near term. - Yeti Holdings to Acquire Mystery Ranch
Mystery Ranch and its employees will continue to operate out of Bozeman, MT and work with Yeti over the next several months to integrate the teams and functions. - Report: 2023 Resale Grew 15X Faster than Retail
A new study found that 60 percent of consumers shop for secondhand apparel, giving them more for their money, while 55 percent said they would spend more on secondhand clothing if the economy does not improve. - REI Co-op Names 2024 Vendor Partners of the Year
The outdoor specialty retailer is reporting the honorees of this year’s Vendor Partner of the Year Awards, which it gives to brands that have “significantly impacted various aspects of its business” over the past year. - Fly Fishing Community Mourns the Loss of Legendary Angler Cathy Beck
Beck was a master angler and considered a pioneer in fly fishing instruction. She leaves an “indelible mark on enthusiasts worldwide” for her unwavering dedication to the sport and anglers worldwide. - EXEC: EMS/Bob’s Parent Files for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy
In a bankruptcy court affidavit, David Barton, CEO of Mountain Sports LLC, the parent of Eastern Mountain Sports (EMS) and Bob’s Stores, said the company plans to close its primary distribution center and fulfill orders from stores as an initial step in its reorganization. - Report: Troubling Decline in Core Outdoor Participants
The OIA 2024 Outdoor Participation Trends Report found that the average number of outings per participant in 2023 fell 11.4 percent from 70.5 per participant in 2022 to 62.5 outings per participant in 2023. - REI Chicago Union Workers Disrupt Anniversary Sale, Walk Off Job
REI Union Chicago workers walked off the job this on Saturday, May 18, during the retailer’s annual Anniversary Sale, demanding the retailer reach a “fair contract” by the end of 2024. - VF Corp. Sees Q3 Business Decline Accelerate; Will Conduct Strategic Review of Brands
The 16 percent year-over-year decline was an acceleration of the decline in the business, which was down just 2 percent in the fiscal second quarter when new CEO Bracken Darrell sounded the alarm that all was not well in the business. - EXEC: Vista Outdoor Fields $2.9 Bn Offer to Acquire Company in All-Cash Deal
The unsolicited indication of interest from MNC Capital Partners in acquiring the parent of the Camelback, Bell, Giro, Simms, Bushnell brands, and the Remington and Federal ammunition businesses in an all-cash transaction for $35.00 per Vista share. - EXEC: Velo Shuttering Colorado Cyclist and Planet Cyclery, Running Liquidation Sales
B. Riley is facilitating the total liquidation of Planet Cyclery and Colorado Cyclist’s inventory in connection with the executed General Assignment for the Benefit of Creditors (ABC) of Velo. - American Bicycle Group CEO Peter Hurley Passes Away
The CEO of the parent company of the Quintana Roo, Litespeed and OBED brands suffered a heart attack following a morning run on Friday, July 19, 2024. - EXEC: REI Selling Four Distribution Centers in Sale/Leaseback Plan
REI is seeking to monetize the value of the DCs through a triple-net (NNN) sale/leaseback transaction with an end of year 2024 Closing. - NBDA E-Bike Survey Reveals Leading Brands, Services and Systems
With the e-bike category experiencing unprecedented growth, the trade association of independent bicycle dealers said feedback gathered from over 552 bike retailers across North America provided invaluable insights into supplier performance and retailer satisfaction.
Image courtesy Wheelhouse
