Aisle Talk Week Of May 24, 2021

May 28, 2021

»The Buckle Sees Q1 Sales More Than Double
The Buckle Inc. reported net sales for the 13-week fiscal quarter ended May 1, 2021 increased 159.2 percent to $299.1 million from net sales of $115.4 million for the prior year 13-week fiscal quarter ended May 2, 2020. Read more

»Johnson Outdoors Welcomes Two Board Members
Johnson Outdoors Inc. announced the appointment of Annie Zipfel and Paul Alexander as independent directors to the company’s Board of Directors. Read more

»RECALL: Trek Bicycle Pedals
Trek is recalling 345,150 pairs of Bontrager Satellite City bicycle pedals because they could fall off the crank arm of the bicycle if installed incorrectly by the retailer during assembly. Read more

»Famous Footwear Delivers Record Earnings And Sales
Caleres reported earnings and sales that exceeded Wall Street estimates as Famous Footwear achieved record quarterly earnings and delivered record first-quarter sales levels. The company’s brand Portflio segment also showed improvement with strong performances from Vionic, Sam Edelman, Blowfish Malibu, and Ryka brands. Read more

»Hibbett Sports Blows Past Wall Street’s Targets In Q4
Hibbett Sports significantly hiked its full-year guidance after reporting sales and earnings in the first quarter ended May 1 came in well ahead of Wall Street’s estimates. Mike Longo, CEO, said, “New customer retention, improved store-level engagement, government stimulus, and access to coveted brand name products contributed to our comparable sales growth of 87.3 percent.” Read more

May 27, 2021

»Hyosung Hires Global Marketing Team
Hyosung has hired industry veteran, Claire O’Neill, as its European marketing manager and appointed Hyosung veteran, Julia Nam, as its U.S. marketing manager effective immediately. Read more

»RIA To Host In-Person Industry Event In September
The Running Industry Association (RIA) announced it would host an in-person industry event, Runchella, in Denver from September 27-29. Read more

»TJX Cos. Reinstates Share Repurchase Program
The TJX Cos. Inc. announced that its Board of Directors has reinstated its share repurchase program. TJX also announced the declaration of a quarterly dividend on its common stock of 26 cents per share. Read more

»Athleta Sees Sales Surge In Q1
Gap Inc. reported that Athleta’s net sales in the first quarter were up 56 percent versus 2019. Comparable sales grew 27 percent year-over-year and 46 percent versus 2019. Read more

»The Vitamin Shoppe Launches Franchising Model
The Vitamin Shoppe announced plans to offer franchising opportunities for the first time in its 44-year history. Read more

»Sports Memorabilia Platform Collectable Announces Additional $5.5 Million In Funding
Collectable, a sports memorabilia investment platform, announced it is raising an additional $5.5 million as part of a Series A funding round, led by Amplo, Bain Capital Ventures and Fifth Down Capital. Read more

»Shaquille O’Neal Invests In At-Home Fitness Startup Maxpro
Maxpro, a Detroit-based home-fitness startup, announced a strategic partnership with basketball Hall of Famer Shaquille O’Neal, who has invested in the company to reinforce its mission to help individuals of all fitness levels achieve their goals. Read more

»Under Armour Enters Into Exchange Agreements With Noteholders
Under Armour Inc. announced that it has entered into exchange agreements with certain holders of its 1.50 percent Convertible Senior Notes due 2024. Read more

»Burlington Stores Sees Q1 Same-Store Sales Climb 20 Percent
Burlington Stores Inc. reported earnings more than doubled in the first quarter as same-store sales grew 20 percent. Read more

»Report: Authentic Brands Confidentially Files For IPO
Authentic Brands Group (ABG), which owns a number of fashion and sports brands, has reportedly filed confidentially for an initial public offering. Read more

»Genesco’s Q1 Boosted By Record Results From Journeys
Genesco Inc. reported first-quarter results that came in well above Wall Street targets with a boost of record first-quarter revenue and profitability at Journeys. Read more

»Cascade Designs Expands Sales And IT Departments
Cascade Designs, the parent company of MSR, Therm-a-Rest, Platypus, SealLine, PackTowl and Varilite, announced three new hires in its sales and IT departments. Tim Lau will join the company as international sales manager for Canada and APAC, Jenni Schmidt will work as senior sales & operations manager and Mirza Beg will serve as IT director. Read more

»Fanatics Opens Paris Saint-Germain Store In Los Angeles
Paris Saint-Germain in partnership with Fanatics has become the first European football club to open a permanent retail store in the United States. Read more

»Kering Sells 5.9 Percent Stake In Puma
French luxury goods group Kering announced plans to sell a 5.9 percent stake in Puma via a placement to investors. Read more

»Grand Trunk Acquires Alite Designs
Grand Trunk has acquired Alite Designs, the company behind the Monarch camp chair. Starting next year, Alite products will be available under the Grand Trunk brand name. Read more

»VF Corp. Launches New Innovation Pillar
VF Corp. announced its launch of Venture Platforms, an innovation pillar that will focus on identifying and investing in new, future-focused opportunities. Read more

May 26, 2021

»Fleet Feet Syracuse Owners To Retire
Fleet Feet announced that Ed and Ellen Griffin have retired after 21 years of owning their Fleet Feet franchise business. Read more

»AllTerra Arms Expands Executive Team
AllTerra Arms, an Idaho-based manufacturer of precision bolt-action rifles, hired Mike Schwiebert as chief marketing officer and Dan Rice as vice president of sales. Read more

»Urban Outfitters Tops Wall Street’s Targets In Q1
Urban Outfitters Inc. announced a record net income of $54 million, or 54 cents a share, on sales of $927 million for the first quarter ended April 30. Wall Street on average was looking for 16 cents a share on sales of $898 million. Read more

»REI Launches Content And Entertainment Arm
REI announced the launch of Co-op Studios, the retailer’s in-house content arm. Across films, podcasts and editorial programs, the studio develops and produces content that explores the power of time spent outside, while complementing the brand’s broader commitments. Read more

»Designer Brands Returns To Profitability
Designer Brands Inc., the parent of DSW, returned to profitability for the first time since the onset of COVID-19. Sales improved 45.6 percent against pandemic-depressed year-ago levels and the gross margin rate improved over the rate from the first quarter of 2019. Athleisure comparable sales in the U.S. Retail segment, or DSW, were up 92 percent in the first quarter year-over-year. Read more

»Mystery Ranch Partners With Sea To Summit To Expand Reach Into Australia
Mystery Ranch announced it has partnered with Sea to Summit to be its distributor in Australia. With new partnerships across Europe, Asia and the Middle East, the company is expanding its reach into the South Pacific. Read more

»TeamSnap Announces SportSavvy Customers Will Migrate To TeamSnap Platform
TeamSnap announced that SportSavvy, a league management system based in Canada, is migrating its customers to the TeamSnap platform. Read more

»Father’s Day Spending To Hit $20.1 Billion, According To NRF
U.S. consumers are expected to spend more than $20.1 billion on gifts and other items for Father’s Day this year, a record high, according to the National Retail Federation’s (NRF) annual survey conducted by Prosper Insight & Analytics. Total spending for the holiday will surpass last year’s record figure of $17 billion. Read more

»Stifel Launches Sustainable Lifestyle Brand Index
A new Stifel survey shows consumers believe it’s important for companies to act sustainably and most are willing to pay a premium for brands that demonstrate ethical business practices, environmental care, and social responsibility. Based on this insight, Stifel is also introducing its Sustainable Lifestyle Brands Index, which ranks brands based on consumer perception of corporate sustainability practices. Read more

»Club Champion To Open Location In West Long Branch
Custom golf club fitter Club Champion has opened a fitting studio in West Long Branch. Its fourth location in New Jersey. Read more

»Vista Outdoor Acquires QuietKat And Venor
Vista Outdoor Inc. announced the acquisition of e-bike brand QuietKat and hunt-inspired female apparel brand Venor. The acquisitions were announced as Vista plans to unveil on Wednesday morning its Value Creation Framework growth strategy and its long-term financial targets at its Investor Day. Read more

»Hibbett Appoints Board Member
Hibbett Sports Inc. announced the appointment of Linda Hubbard to the company’s Board of Directors. She is president and chief operating officer of Carhartt. Read more

»Dick’s SG Lifts FY Outlook On Blowout First Quarter
Dick’s Sporting Goods raised its full-year guidance after reporting sales and earnings for the first quarter ended May 1 came in well ahead of Wall Street’s consensus targets. Consolidated same-store sales for 2021 are now projected to expand in the range of 8.0 percent to 11.0 percent. Read more

May 25, 2021

»Academy Sports Announces $99 Million Paydown And Refinancing Of Its Term Loan
Academy Sports + Outdoors, Inc. announced that it had completed a paydown and refinancing of its term loan and that its S&P Global credit rating has been upgraded. Read more

»Wolverine Worldwide Announces International And Sperry Leadership Appointments
Wolverine World Wide Inc. announced the promotion of Isabel Soriano as president of International and the appointment of Katherine Cousins as global brand president, Sperry. Read more

»Nordstrom’s Q1 Shows Sequential Improvement In Sales Trends
Nordstrom Inc. reported a loss in the first quarter, as expected while showing continued strength in online sales. The retailer said sequential improvement in sales trends of more than 700 basis points relative to the fourth quarter, but overall sales were down 13 percent versus the 2019 first quarter. Read more

»Private Equity Firm Naxicap Acquires Stromer
Naxicap Partners, a European private equity firm, has reached an agreement to acquire Stromer, the Swiss e-bike brand. Read more

»Sea To Summit Partners With New Sales Agencies In Canada
Sea to Summit, the adventure equipment brand headquartered in Western Australia, has partnered with two new sales agencies across Canada. Read more

»Polygiene Hires Commercial Director For EMEA Region
Polygiene announced the appointment of the sport and outdoor industry and ISPO veteran Markus Hefter as commercial director for the EMEA region. Read more

»Oxygen Plus Completes Acquisition Of O2 Naked Air
Oxygen Plus (O+), based in Minneapolis, MN, completed the acquisition of California-based recreational oxygen company, O2 Naked Air. Read more

»City Gear Opens In Lake Charles
Hibbett announced the opening of a City Gear store in Lake Charles, LA. Read more

»CBP And Nike Inc. Partner To Fight Counterfeits
The U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) announced a new formal partnership arrangement with Nike Inc. as part of the Donations Acceptance Program. Under its partnership with CBP, Nike Inc. is donating proprietary technology to aid in authenticating a variety of Nike Inc. merchandise and prevent counterfeit products from entering the U.S. Read more

»CZG Completes Colt Acquisition
Colt Holding Company LLC announced CZG Group has successfully closed its acquisition of 100 percent of the equity interest in Colt, the parent company of the U.S. firearms manufacturer, Colt’s Manufacturing Company LLC and its Canadian subsidiary, Colt Canada Corporation. Read more

»Wilson To Open First Stores To Support Sportswear Collection
Wilson Sporting Goods plans to open its first stores to support the launch of its first apparel lifestyle collection, Wilson Sportswear. Read more

»Castore To Sponsor Wolverhampton
Castore will replace Adidas as kit supplier to Wolverhampton, marking the Liverpool-based brand’s first partnership with a Premier League soccer team. Read more

»Core Health & Fitness Makes Key Hires
Core Health & Fitness welcomed back Simon Overing as European sales manager and Adam Maloney as territory manager, Midwest region. Read more

»Varsity Brands Appoints Chief Information Officer
Varsity Brands announced that 25-year technology veteran Edwina Payne has joined the company as chief information officer, effective immediately. In this capacity, Payne will report to CEO Adam Blumenfeld and assume direct responsibility for the accelerated uptake of Varsity Brands’ technology transformation. Read more

May 24, 2021

»Hurley Opens Store In Asbury Park
Hurley has opened its first store in New Jersey in Asbury Park. The location marks the surf brand’s first East Coast location outside of Florida. Read more

»REI To Open First Store In Maine
REI Co-op is opening its first location in Maine in the Greater Portland area in Fall 2021. Read more

»Pattern Study: Consumer Demand For Camping Gear At All-Time High
Pattern, a global e-commerce research company, recently released a study that showed consumer demand for camping gear is at an all-time high. Read more

»RECALL: Thule Tepui Hybox Rooftop Tents
Thule Group initiated a recall in partnership with NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration) of the Tepui Hybox 8001HB103, 8001HB112, Tepui Hybox Wedge, 8001HB203, Thule Tepui HyBox, 901100, and Thule Tepui HyBox Wedge, 901110, rooftop tents. Read more

»Peloton To Build First U.S. Factory
Peloton Interactive Inc. announced plans to build its first U.S. factory. After a rigorous selection process, Peloton selected Troy Township in Wood County, OH for the site of Peloton Output Park (POP), a factory that will be dedicated to producing Peloton’s Peloton Bike, Bike+ and Peloton Tread starting in 2023. Read more

»Golf Rounds Played Surge In April
Golf rounds played in the U.S. jumped 81.4 percent for the month of April, according to Golf Datatech. For the year-to-date period, rounds are ahead 43.8 percent. Read more

»Bridgestone Golf Partners With Fairway Social
Bridgestone Golf announced a cooperative relationship with Fairway Social, an indoor golf entertainment venue featuring hitting bays with golf simulators and a putting course. Read more

»Study Finds 28 Percent Of Runners Started During The Pandemic
A study from RunRepeat found that 28.76 percent of runners started with the activity during the pandemic. Read more

»Outdoor Foundation Announces Four New Thrive Outside Communities
Outdoor Foundation announced its second cohort of Thrive Outside Communities in St. Louis, Twin Cities region, Minnesota, Philadelphia, and Maine. Read more

»HIVIZ Shooting Systems Appoints Director Of LE/MIL And Airsoft Sales
HIVIZ Shooting Systems announced the promotion of Lanny Barnes as the director of LE/MIL and Airsoft sales. Read more

»Alliance Outdoor Group Acquires Stealth Project
AOG based in Lakeville, MN has acquired Stealth Project Suppressors. Read more

»BJ’s Wholesale Club To Open Six New Clubs
BJ’s Wholesale Club announced it is expanding its footprint by opening six new clubs this fiscal year. Read more

»Mad Engine To Merge With Fifth Sun
Platinum Equity announced that it has signed a definitive agreement to acquire a controlling interest in Fifth Sun from its founder And Gonzales. The acquisition is made through the Platinum Equity portfolio company Mad Engine. Read more

»Genesco Appoints Three New Independent Directors, Rejects Activist’s Slate
Genesco Inc. appointed three retail industry veterans, including Angel Martinez, the former CEO of Deckers Brands, to its Board, but none of the candidates nominated by an activist investor seeking to take control of the board. The other two new board members are Mary Meixelsperger, CFO, Valvoline and former CFO of DSW and Greg Sandfort, former CEO of Tractor Supply Company. Read more

»The Buckle Sees Q1 Sales More Than Double
The Buckle Inc. reported net sales for the 13-week fiscal quarter ended May 1, 2021 increased 159.2 percent to $299.1 million from net sales of $115.4 million for the prior year 13-week fiscal quarter ended May 2, 2020. Read more

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