Icebreaker Appoints Schrimsher to VP, USA sales
Icebreaker, the New Zealand merino wool specialist, hired Barry Schrimsher as vice president of USA sales effective immediately. A native of Portland and a graduate of the University of Oregon, Schrimsher is a 24-year outdoor industry entrepreneur. He est
NSGA Establishes Scholarships To Honor Jim Faltinek
The National Sporting Goods Association (NSGA) has established the James L. Faltinek Scholarship Program, named in honor of retired President & CEO Jim Faltinek. Each year, a total of five scholarships to the NSGA Management Conference & Team Dealer Summi
Rawlings Taps Hultec to Produce Baseball Pills
Rawlings Sporting Goods Company, Inc., the Official Baseball Supplier to Major League Baseball since 1977, will utilize a new supplier for the production of the “pill” for all Major League Baseballs. Hultec, an affiliate of Fort Worth, Texas based S & B T
Wenger Sponsors Patagonian Expedition Race
Wenger, maker of the Genuine Swiss Army Knife and Precision Outdoor Equipment, agreed to a three-year title sponsorship of the Patagonian Expedition Race. Beginning in 2009, the international event – which has become known as “the last wild race” – will n
Deckers, Wolverine Address Guidance
Deckers Outdoor re-affirmed guidance of 52% growth in sales and 40% EPS expansion and is on target to reach its goal of $1 billion in sales by 2012, said CFO Tom Hillebrandt during the ICR conference last week. The company also re-affirmed its previously
Retailers Also Tighten Inventory
Big 5 Sporting Goods management presented at the ICR conference touting their value-based business model as one that will see particular success with the new value-conscious consumer. Chairman, president and CEO Steve Miller noted that Big 5 average $213
Specialty Takes it Day-by-Day While Mass Retail Strategies Get Bullish
Genesco Inc. said same-store sales for the quarter-to-date period ended January 10, were down 4%. Among the divisions, comps at Journeys Group for the quarter-to-date are down 1% and Hat World Group is down 4%. Additionally, Underground Station comped d
NRF Study: Holiday Sales Dropped 2.8% in 2008
A deep recession, severe winter weather and five fewer shopping days combined to create the most challenging sales environment in years for the nation’s retailers…
Woolrich Sues Eddie Bauer
Woolrich Inc. has sued Eddie Bauer Inc. for infringing on its trademark, “The Original Outdoor Clothing Co.” In the suit, Woolrich said it has used the slogan since 1997 on more than $500 million worth of garments, catalogs and advertisements…
K2 Sports Enters Triathlon Market with Acquisition of Zoot Sports
Zoot Sports, the triathlon apparel and wetsuit specialist, was acquired late last week by K2 Sports, a division of Jarden Outdoor. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. K2 Sports gains one of the hottest brands capitalizing on the triathlon trend
SGB Question Asks: ‘What Happens When Industry Brands Go to Mass?”
The SGB Question for January explored the overall effect the sale of sporting goods brands to club/discount/mass is having on the industry. Many of the industry's core brands can be increasingly found at Costco, Wal-Mart, Target, Meijer, T.J. Maxx, a
Forzani Sees Flat Holiday Sales
The Forzani Group Ltd. reported total sales for the ten weeks ended Jan. 11 were flat to the prior year. On a same-store basis, total retail system sales were down 1.8%, although sales were stronger in the week before and the week after Christmas…
Sport Chalet Amends Credit Line
On January 9, Sport Chalet Inc. amended its credit agreement with lenders led by Bank of America to loosen its terms, according to a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The filing noted that as of December 31, an event of default had occurre
OIF: Participation Up, But Youth Interest Dropping
In the 2008 Outdoor Recreation Participation Report, the Outdoor Foundation found that while overall participation in outdoor recreation among Americans is increasing, the connection to nature among youth is declining…
Congress Moves on Trade Action
Congress has been back in session for little more than a week and already trade issues are taking center stage. Last week, Reps. Charles Rangel, Chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, and Sander Levin, Chairman of the Ways and Means Subcommittee
