Aisle Talk Week Of December 7, 2020

The Top National stories and the Latest headlines across the Active Lifestyle Market for the week of December 7, 2020, covered in the SGB Updates and delivered to your inbox every business day.

— December 11, 2020 —

›Highland Trading Company Appoints Sales Manager
Highland Trading Company, Inc. announced the hiring of industry veteran Mike Stepanek as sales manager. Highland Trading Company is the manufacturer and distributor of Sportube and Wildsyde Vintage Electric Bicycles. Read more

›Sports Direct’s Parent Sees 7.4 Percent Sales Drop In First Half
Frasers Group PLC reported revenues declined 7.4 percent in the six months ended October 25, largely caused by temporary store closures due to COVID-19, offset by the strong reopening of stores after lockdown and growth in its online business. Sales at Eastern Mountain Sports and Bob’s Stores in the U.S. saw double-digit declines. Read more

›Johnson Outdoors’ Sales Surge 58 Percent In Q4
Johnson Outdoors Inc. reported earnings rose nearly four-fold in the fiscal fourth quarter ended October 2. Revenues grew 58.3 percent, Helen Johnson-Leipold, chairman and CEO, said, “Strong demand in Fishing, Camping and Watercraft Recreation continued into the fourth ›quarter, and the challenge has been keeping pace with demand.” Read more

›Tecnica Appoints North American Business Unit Director, Tecnica Footwear
Tecnica Group has hired Rob Phillips to the newly created position of North American business unit director, Tecnica Footwear. Responsible for overseeing commercial operations, product and marketing, Phillips joins Tecnica with over 14 years of sales and management experience including seven years with 5.11. Read more

›Mayweather Boxing + Fitness Opens First Michigan Studio
Mayweather Boxing + Fitness announced the opening of its first Michigan Studio on December 12. The Studio will be led by franchisees Rod and Paloma Blanes and is the first of many regional Studios opening as the brand continues to grow its footprint. Read more

— December 10 —

›Vail Resorts Widens Q1 Loss
Vail Resorts Inc. increased its loss in the fiscal first quarter ended October 31 due to the impact of COVID-19. The ski resort operator saw healthy season pass sales but continue to expect “material” declines in visitations during the 2020/2021 North American ski season due to COVID-19. Read more

›Lululemon Delivers 19 Percent Q3 Same-Store Gain
Lululemon Athletica Inc. reported earnings rose 20.1 percent in the third quarter, excluding costs tied to its acquisition of Mirror, as same-store sales climbed 19 percent. Online sales increased by 94 percent. Both sales and earnings topped Wall Street’s targets. Read more

›IHRSA Launches Global Active And Safe Commitment Pledge
IHRSA, the International Health, Racquet & Sportsclub Association, has launched the Active & Safe Commitment pledge. Health clubs that sign the Commitment pledge promise to commit to best industry practices and COVID-19 mitigation procedures. Read more

›Lost Paddle Media Acquires Fishing Trade Shows
Lost Paddle Media announced it has acquired the Kansas City Boat and Sportshow, Chicagoland Fishing Travel & Outdoor Expo, Suffern New York’s World Fishing & Outdoor Exposition, and the Saltwater Fishing Expo in Edison, New Jersey from the National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA). Lost Paddle Media operates The Big Gear Show. Read more

›RYU Apparel Launches Golf Apparel Division With Key Hires
RYU Apparel Inc. has hired James Chapman and Andrew Parr to lead its new golf apparel division. Read more

›Varsity Spirit Founder And Chairman To Step Down
Varsity Spirit and its Founder and Chairman, Jeff Webb, announced that he will shift his focus to growing cheer globally through his role as president of the International Cheer Union. Varsity Spirit, a division of Varsity Brands, will continue to be led by Bill Seely. Read more

›Louis Garneau Completes Financial Restructuring
The Louis Garneau Sports Group, which filed for creditor protection in Canada in March, announced a new investor to complete a reorganization and has set a brand relaunch. Its company founder, Louis Garneau, remains the majority shareholder. Read more

›Head/Tyrolia Appoints VP Of SalesHead/Tyrolia, USA announced that Rob Mignon has been named vice president of sales, a new position for the company. Starting January 1, 2021, he will assume sales management for all Head Wintersports products in the U.S. Read more

›Academy Sports Reports Record Q3 Sales And EarningsAcademy Sports and Outdoors Inc., in its first earnings report since going public, reported earnings vaulted 188 percent on an adjusted basis in the third quarter ended October 31. Revenues jumped 17.8 percent. Results were well ahead of Wall Street’s targets. The retailer marked its fifth consecutive quarter with a comparable sales increase. Read more

— December 9, 2020 —

›Imports Still Strong Though October
Imports remain strong through October after setting new records this fall as retailers stocked up both stores and warehouses for the holiday season and met new demands for quick delivery of online orders, according to the monthly Global Port Tracker report released by the National Retail Federation and Hackett Associates. Read more

›HanesBrands Appoints Board Member
HanesBrands announced that financial executive Cheryl K. Beebe has been appointed to the company’s Board of Directors. Read more

›Brooks And Vaude Sign The Climate Pledge
Brooks Running and Vaude have each signed The Climate Pledge, a commitment to be net-zero carbon by 2040, a decade ahead of the Paris Agreement’s goal of 2050. Read more

›Bison Renews Agreement As NFHS Corporate Partner For Basketball
The National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) announced a renewal of its corporate partnership with Bison, Inc., one of the industry’s top suppliers of basketball equipment. Read more

›Outerstuff’s Debt Ratings Upgraded
Standard & Poors upgraded the debt ratings of U.S. youth licensed sports apparel maker Outerstuff LLC as the company recently reached an agreement with its lenders to extend its term loan maturity to December 2023 and paid its lenders the principal and interest it missed in March, June, and September 2020. Read more

›JumboMax Golf Grips Appoints Director Of Operations
JumboMax Golf Grips announced that golf industry veteran, Chris Plummer, has joined the company as director of operations. Read more

›Tennis Industry Shows Growth In The Face Of COVID-19
The USTA announced that recent data and information surrounding racquet sales and participation have shown that the tennis industry has shown strength amid the pandemic. Read more

›REI Elevates Product Standards To Fight Climate Change And Advance Equity
REI is upgrading product standards in partnership with its more than 1,000 brand partners to advance more sustainable and inclusive business practices. The co-up is also committing that, by 2030, all products on its shelves will have a preferred attribute so that every purchase at REI supports a healthier, cleaner, more equitable planet. Read more

›Designer Brands Logs Q3 Loss, Continues Athletic Push
Designer Brands Inc. reported a loss in the third quarter ended November 2 on a 30.1 percent revenue decline but the loss topped Wall Street’s expectations. Designer Brands’ officials also called out substantial progress the DSW chain has made expanding athletic and kids offerings. Read more

›Academy Sports Adds Board Member
Academy Sports and Outdoors Inc. announced the appointment of Wendy A. Beck to its Board of Directors, effective today. Beck joins Allen I. Questrom and Jeffrey C. Tweedy, who were appointed to Academy’s Board on October 1 in connection with Academy’s initial public offering, as recent independent director additions to the Board. Read more

— December 8, 2020 —

›NPD Reports: Sports Equipment Sales Surge In Third Quarter
According to NPD Group, categories tied to the outdoors as well as home fitness equipment continue to post double-digit gains in the third quarter. Read more

›Aglet Announces $4.5M Seed Round
Aglet has completed seed financing of an additional $4.5 million just months after closing its pre-seed extension with $7 million raised since its founding late 2019. Read more

›TJX Announces 13 Percent Increase In Dividend
The TJX Companies Inc. announced the declaration of a quarterly dividend on its common stock of 26 cents per share payable March 4, 2021, to shareholders of record on February 11, 2021. Read more

›Jordan Brand Partners With UCLA
UCLA announced a six-year partnership that makes Nike’s Jordan Brand the official athletic footwear, apparel and equipment provider for the Bruins’ football and basketball programs. The change comes after Under Armour announced in June that it was ending its contract with the school. Read more

›Brookwood Companies Announces CEO Transition
Brookwood Companies, Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Hallwood Group, LLC, announced that its CEO, Amber M. Brookman will be leaving the company effective January 1, 2021. Frank Montie, who currently serves as executive vice president, will assume the role of CEO. Read more

›USA Cycling Announces New Board Members And Bylaws
USA Cycling Board of Directors welcomed four new board members to elevate USA Cycling’s impact beyond the sport. Read more

Blaser Group Acquires Liemke Thermal Optics
Blaser Group announced the acquisition of Liemke Thermal Optics headquartered in Bielefeld, Germany. Read more

›Thor Reports Strong Q3 Growth
Thor Industries Inc. reported sales in the first quarter ended October 31 rose 17.6 percent due to strong demand across its RV segments. Read more

›G-III Apparel Q3 Sales Slump 27 Percent
G-III Apparel Group, Ltd. reported earnings declined 33.8 percent in the third quarter as sales retreated 26.7 percent. Read more

›The Buckle Sets Special Dividend
The Buckle Inc. announced that at its quarterly meeting of the Board of Directors, held on December 7, 2020, the Board authorized a $2.00 per share special cash dividend to be paid to shareholders of record at the close of business on December 21. Read more

›Foot Locker Plans Rights Issue
Foot Locker Inc. announced that its Board of Directors has adopted a short-term shareholder rights plan and declared a dividend distribution of one right on each outstanding share of the company’s common stock. The offering could be used as a barrier to activist investor Daniel Kretinsky taking control of the sneaker retailer. Read more

›Moncler To Acquire Stone Island
Moncler SpA agreed to buy Stone Island, a rival maker of men’s luxury sportswear, for €1.15 billion ($1.4 billion) in cash and shares. Read more

— December 7, 2020 —

›Pure Fishing’s Debt Ratings Upgraded
Moody’s Investors Service raised Pure Fishing’s corporate debt rating due to the company’s strong third-quarter performance which resulted in better operating performance year-to-date versus expectations, leading to meaningful improvement in financial leverage and free cash flow generation. Read more

›Fanatics Acquires WinCraft
Fanatics announced the acquisition of WinCraft, a licensed sports manufacturer in the hardgoods categories. With the move, Fanatics now adds hardgoods and non-apparel to its vertical commerce business and setting up a hardgoods center in Winona, MN. Read more

›JCPenney Emerges From Bankruptcy
JCPenney emerged from Chapter 11 bankruptcy on Monday in a deal that leaves Simon Property Group and Brookfield Asset Management Inc as the owners and operators of the department store chain. Read more

›Dick’s SG To Close Store In Port Huron, MI
Dick’s Sporting Goods plans to close its store at the Fort Gratiot Shopping Center in Port Huron, MI this winter, according to a report in the Port Huron Times Herald. Read more

›Adidas Partners With The Atlanta Hawks
Adidas inked a multi-year partnership with the Atlanta Hawks that covers a wide variety of marketing integrations including event sponsorships, exclusive product designs, and custom digital content. Read more

›Survey Says Majority Of U.S. Sports Fans Need More Reassurance to Attend Games Again
Only 27 percent of American sports fans are looking to go to a sporting event in the next six months, according to a survey from Tappit. The numbers look more promising when looking at the next 12 months, where 58 percent of Americans are aiming to attend a sporting event at that time. Read more

›GolfNow Survey Finds Optimistic Outlook For 2021
Overall, the 2021 outlook for golf participation is generally positive based on the survey results, despite some stumbling blocks in certain segments, according to results from the latest Golf Operation Impact survey conducted by GolfNow. Read more

›International Golf Federation Appoints New President
The International Golf Federation (IGF) elected Annika Sorenstam as its new president, effective January 1, 2021. Read more

›Urban Outfitters Appoints CFO
Urban Outfitters Inc. announced the promotion of Melanie Marein-Efron, the company’s executive director of corporate development and finance, to CFO. Read more

›Burton Opens Retail And Employee Hub In Downtown Denver
Burton Snowboards announced the grand opening of a new Burton Hub in the River North (RiNo) Art district of downtown Denver. Read more

›Dick’s SG Joins Coalition To Combat Sale of Fraudulent Goods
The Buy Safe America Coalition announced that Dick’s Sporting Goods has become a member of the organization dedicated to combating organized retail crime and the sale of counterfeit and stolen goods. Read more

›New Balance To Close Boston Factory
New Balance plans to close its factory in Boston’s Brighton neighborhood in February, eliminating 63 jobs. Read more

›Escalade Sports Acquires Rave Sports
Escalade Inc. announced that it has acquired substantially all of the business and assets of Revel Match LLC, dba Rave Sports, a water recreation products brand. The acquisition marks Escalade’s expansion into the water sports and recreation category. Read more

›The Skills Announces $5M Seed Round
The Skills, an online education platform taught by icons of professional sport, announced a $5 million seed round and two new courses from World Champion and 23-time gold medalist Michael Phelps and two-time World Cup Champion and gold medalist Megan Rapinoe. Read more

›IWA Outdoor Classics 2021 Cancelled
NürnbergMesse has decided to cancel the IWA OutdoorClassics 2021 due to COVID-19 rising infection rates, various quarantine rules and travel restrictions making it difficult for exhibitors and visitors to make firm plans to attend. The next IWA OutdoorClassics will take place in Nuremberg from March 3-6, 2022. Read more

›Stryk Group USA Announces New Hires
Stryk Group USA announced the addition of five new employees across all divisions. This announcement comes as Stryk Group USA sees continued growth in the business consulting space. Read more

›Riton Optics Appoints Operations Director
Riton Optics, based in Tucson, AZ,  promoted Dave Franklin to the position of director of operations. Riton Optics also announced RSR Group as the newest distributor of Riton products. Read more

Photo courtesy Lululemon