Top headlines from across the active lifestyle industry featured in SGB during the week of November 25, 2019.

  • Following a social media firestorm that erupted after news of Backcountry.com’s legal campaign to protect its trademark, Jonathan Nielsen, the online retailer’s CEO, has already visited a number of small businesses impacted by the trademark action and made numerous deals as reparation with the owners. Read more
  • Silofit, a Montreal-based network of private, on-demand fitness spaces, raised Canadian $1 million in seed funding. The round was led by Whitecap Venture Partners and Courtside Ventures, with participation from NFL player Ndamukong Suh. Read more
  • Melanie Whelan, SoulCycle’s CEO since 2015, has resigned. Sunder Reddy, SoulCycle’s CFO since 2017, will assume the role of interim CEO while a search for a permanent replacement begins. Read more
  • More than half of consumers started holiday shopping and nearly a quarter of purchases have been made, according to the annual survey released by the National Retail Federation and Prosper Insights & Analytics. Read more
  • Moody’s Investors Service downgraded Pure Fishing’s Corporate Family Rating (CFR) to B3 from B2 and revised the rating’s outlook to negative from stable. Read more
  • OrderMyGear announced that Matt Kaplan was promoted to SVP of Revenue. Read more
  • Anta Sports Products Ltd., which acquired Amer Sports in March 2019, is exploring a sale of Precor, the fitness equipment maker, after receiving interest from buyers, according to a report from Bloomberg. Read more
  • Canopy Rivers Inc., a Toronto-based venture capital firm specializing in cannabis, has further bolstered its Strategic Advisory Board, adding Thirty-Five Ventures, the business owned by NBA star Kevin Durant and sports business executive Rich Kleiman. Read more
  • Skechers USA Inc. announced the closing of a new $500 million, five-year, senior unsecured credit facility. This new credit facility replaces the $250 million asset-backed credit facility that Skechers entered into in 2015, which was due to expire in June 2020. Read more
  • Google outbid Facebook to acquire Fitbit Inc., but the social media giant never acknowledged its interest in the wearables maker, according to a report from CNBC that cited unnamed sources familiar with the deal. Read more
  • Norrona, the four-season Norwegian outdoor brand known for sustainably built outerwear, will open its third global flagship center in the SoHo neighborhood in New York City on December 6. Read more
  • Rossignol is accelerating its commitment to initiatives addressing climate change, including its longtime partnership with Protect Our Winters (POW). Read more
  • LEM Helmets, a manufacturer of head protection for cycling and motorsports, named industry vet Ken Baker as global product manager. Read more
  • REI Co-op is opening a new store in Gainesville, FL, in spring 2020. The 23,000-square-foot store will be located at the Butler Town Center at 3650 Southwest 32nd Court. Read more
  • Hanesbrands Inc., the parent of Champion, said that Chief Financial Officer Barry A. Hytinen has notified the company of his decision to leave Hanesbrands to accept another career opportunity outside of the apparel industry. Read more
  • Myaderm, a producer of cannabidiol (CBD) products, announced that it reached a deal to become the first CBD products to sell at Dick’s Sporting Goods. Read more
  • Adventure 16 announced plans to close its remaining two stores in West Los Angeles and San Diego. Read more
  • PVH Corp., which owns the rights to Speedo NA, raised full-year adjusted profit forecast after its third-quarter revenue and earnings that topped Wall Street expectations. Read more
  • Boss Manufacturing Co., a national supplier of personal protection equipment, reached an agreement in principle to sell the assets of its glove, boots, and rainwear business to Protective Industrial Products Inc. (PIP) of Latham, NY. Read more
  • REI Co-op announced Monday the promotion­­ of Chris Putur to executive vice president of technology and operations and Kate Wendt to vice president of strategy. Read more
  • In advance of a major relaunch for FiveFingers during Spring 2021, Vibram Corp. USA announced Monday it has decided to stop selling its FiveFingers products directly to Amazon USA, allowing the brand to fully support its retail partners. Read more
  • AfterShokz announced its latest partnership in the run and endurance space, partnering with four-time Olympian and winner of the 2009 New York City Marathon and 2014 Boston Marathon, Meb Keflezighi. Read more
  • NormaTec announced a four-year partnership with U.S. Ski & Snowboard, the national governing body of competitive skiing and snowboarding in the United States. Read more
  • Rastaclat unveiled that it is an official licensee for Team USA. Read more
  • On, the Swiss running shoe brand has partnered with Roger Federer. The Swiss tennis legend has become an investor as well as a contributing designer and representative for the brand. Read more
  • Hillsound Equipment, a producer of winter traction equipment and gaiters for urban and outdoor enthusiasts, announced two new partnerships with sales reps in the Rockies and Atlantic regions of the United States. Read more
  • The Buckle Inc. reported net income for the fiscal quarter ended November 2, 2019, rose 26.8 percent to $26.0 million, or 53 cents per share, from $20.5 million, or 42 cents, a year ago. Read more

Photo courtesy Backcountry.com