Nike and BSN Sports partner with The Frontier Conference
Montana’s The Frontier Conference reported it signed a five-year deal with Nike and BSN Sports to be its official conference apparel and equipment provider.
Tennis Express Re-Acquired by Founder
Houston, TX-based Tennis Express announced that Brad Blume, company founder, re-acquired full ownership in the retail and online business from Signa Sports United
Mountain Warehouse Reports Sales Uptick In First Half, Steeped-Up Openings
Mountain Warehouse, the London-based outdoor specialty store with 370 shops across Europe, the U.S., Canada, and New Zealand, reported sales “rebounded strongly” to reach “record” levels of £171 million ($216 mm) in the six months ended August 31.
OIA Names New Director of Sustainable Business Innovation
The Outdoor Industry Association hired Julie M.H. Brown as director of sustainable business innovation to direct and manage its sustainability department.
REI Hires VP of Public Affairs and Impact
REI hired Roma McCaig as VP of public affairs and impact. Most recently, she was the SVP of impact and communications at Clif Bar & Company.
Wilson Opens Storefront in Mall of America
Wilson Sporting Goods Co. officially opened a retail store in the Mall of America in Bloomington, MN. The 2,600 square-foot space is Wilson’s first brick-and-mortar store in the region.
Arc’teryx Veteran Joins Sugarhouse Creative
Sugarhouse Creative hired Dan Green, a former VP of design and senior director of advanced concepts at Arc’teryx, as director of advanced concepts, a new role for the company.
Rally House Adds Stores in Detroit and Kansas City
Rally House announced it opened new stores in northern Detroit and Kansas City. Rally House operates over 180 stores across 18 states in the U.S.
United Sports Brands Acquired by Norwest Equity Partners
Norwest Equity Partners (NEP) has acquired United Sports Brands, the parent of Shock Doctor, McDavid, Cutters, Nathan, Pearl Izumi, and Glukos, from Bregal Partners. NEP’s history with USB brands dates to 2008, when it acquired Shock Doctor as part of its consumer products portfolio.
Backcountry Sells Bergfreunde European Subsidiary
Backcountry reported it entered into a definitive agreement to sell its European subsidiary, Bergfreunde, to Decathlon, the largest sporting goods retailer in the world.
Report: Black Friday Traffic Sees Uptick
Sensormatic Solutions released its initial shopper visit data for U.S. brick-and-mortar stores and shopping centers for Black Friday, November 24, noting that foot traffic increased 4.6 percent compared to 2022.
Report: U.S. Black Friday Retail Sales Up Modestly
According to Mastercard SpendingPulse, retail sales grew 2.5 percent year-over-year on Black Friday, slowing as expected from a gain of 12 percent on the same day a year ago.
Report: Black Friday Sees Record Online Spending
According to Adobe Analytics, a record $9.8 billion was spent online in the U.S. for Black Friday, up 7.5 percent year-over-year (YoY). Adobe had estimated this year’s Black Friday sales at $9.6 billion.
Puma Appoints GM for Puma Japan
Puma hired Ryokusai Inoue as general manager of Puma Japan, effective immediately. He replaces Kohei Hagio, who has held the position since 2021.
Wolverine World Wide Sees Debt Ratings Downgraded
Moody’s downgraded Wolverine World Wide, Inc.’s debt ratings to reflect Wolverine’s “ongoing steep revenue and earnings declines and Moody’s expectations that the challenging retail environment will hinder the company’s ability to realize significant near-term benefits from its turnaround efforts.”
