EXEC: Sports Direct’s Solid Full Year Performance Offset by Other Parent Company Factors
EXEC: Beyond Yoga Revenues Climb 12 Percent in Q2 on DTC Momentum
EXEC: Asics’ Onitsuka Tiger Business to Get Dedicated Facility in Japan
EXEC: Former Brooks CEO Jim Weber Highlights Key Leadership Traits
EXEC: Footasylum Sees Strong Fiscal 2025 Results Continue into Current Year
SGB Update

Lululemon Opens First Store in Italy
Located at Vittorio Emanuele II 24/28, the store spans roughly 5,700 square feet across two floors and officially opens July 19. The store’s product line supports yoga, running, training, tennis, and golf.

NOCSAE Finalizes First Performance Standard for Youth Football Helmets
The standard is the result of over 10 years of NOCSAE-led effort and funding to support scientific research, testing, and analysis to establish sufficient youth-specific data and testing criteria necessary to develop the standard.

NRF’s Chief Economist Transitions to Senior Economic Advisor
The National Retail Federation announced on Thursday, July 17, that Jack Kleinhenz, NRF’s chief economist since 2010, is stepping down to serve in a new capacity as senior economic advisor. NRF Executive Director of Research Mark Mathews will become NRF’s new chief economist while continuing to lead the research team.

Nike’s Artificial Intelligence VP is Departing
Jason Loveland, Nike Inc’s VP of enterprise AI/ML engineering, is exiting his post as Nike confirmed layoffs in May at its technology division as part of a broader restructuring.

New Era to Open New York City Flagship
New Era is opening a flagship store this summer in New York City’s Soho district. The store will represent compamy’s only other flagship store, outside of its hometown of Buffalo, NY.
SGB Executive

EXEC: Sports Direct’s Solid Full Year Performance Offset by Other Parent Company Factors
U.K.-based Frasers Group, the parent of Sports Direct, Everlast, and Evans Cycles, among many others, reported a 7.4 percent decline in sales for its fiscal year ended April 27, as continued sales growth from Sports Direct was offset by moves to right-size other sports banners and weakness in its luxury segment.

EXEC: Fila Brand Delivers MSD China Retail Growth in Q2 for Anta Sports
Retail sales, in retail value, for the Fila brand in China increased in mid-single digits year-over-year in the second quarter, a moderation from the high-single-digit trend in the first quarter.

EXEC: Li Ning Posts LSD Growth in China Retail Sales in Second Quarter
The Offline channel, which includes retail and wholesale, registered a low-single-digit increase. Retail (direct operation) declined by mid-single digits, while Wholesale (franchised distributors) increased by low-single digits. The E-commerce channel registered mid-single-digit growth.

EXEC: JD Sports Fashion Reports Exit of Non-Executive Board Director
Helen Ashton, a non-executive director of the company’s Board of Directors and chair of the Board’s Audit and Risk Committee, has reportedly notified the company of her intention to step down to focus on other commitments.

EXEC: Ciele Athletics Partners with Topsports for China Retail Launch
Ciele will soon open its “official online flagship stores” in China and activate offline channels to reach the country’s fast-growing running community.”