MC Sports’ Mort Finkelstein Passes Away
Mort Finkelstein, the co-founder of the MC Sports chain, passed away on August 17. He was 93.
Macy’s Partners With Gap on Sleepwear and Intimates Line
Macy’s announced that it is selling an exclusive collection of Gap sleepwear, loungewear, underwear, and intimates, marking the first time the two retailers have partnered.
Mitchell & Ness Names New CEO as Kevin Wulff Retires
Eli Kumekpor has been named the company’s CEO, effective immediately. Kumekpor was most recently global VP and general manager of the Jordan Brand’s men’s business. He succeeds Kevin Wulff, who is retiring on Friday.
Active Brands Group Hires E-Commerce Manager
Sweden-based ABG hired Rohan Callander as e-commerce manager responsible on expanding the DTC business for its portfolio of brands.
Wolverine’s Debt Ratings Lowered by Moody’s
Moody’s Investors Service downgraded the debt ratings of Wolverine World Wide, Inc., reflecting the company’s significant earnings decline in Q2 2023 and Moody’s expectations for continued weak near-term performance. S&P Global Ratings similarly recently reduced its rating.
EXEC: Active Lifestyle Well Represented on 2023 Inc. 5000 List
Golftec, Xero Shoes, SylvanSport, Stinger Sports, Bases Loaded and GiantMouse are brands in the wide range of companies in the active lifestyle space to land in Inc’s 5000 for 2023 annual ranking of the fastest-growing private companies in America—a snapshot of companies’ performance from 2019 to 2022.
Ouray Sportswear to Close Colorado Operations Following Sale
Ouray Sportswear is closing its production facility in Englewood, CO, following its sale to Philadelphia-based L2 Brands in January 2023. The closure will affect 154 jobs.
Rally House Continues Growth In New Store Openings
Rally House opened five new stores in five states this past weekend, they follow the seven stores the retailer opened last weekend. It now counts 16 stores opened in August.
EXEC: Symphony Holdings Warns of Increased Loss for H1 Period
The company is the owner of the trademark and patent of compression wear brand Skins. The Group also operates the Pony footwear brand in APAC countries, excluding China and Taiwan regions, with Iconix International Inc.
BTS Study: Nike Losing Ground With Retailers as Others Gain Favor
Nike continues to be the most popular brand at retail for back-to-school (BTS) footwear by a wide margin, according to Stifel’s 16th Annual Back-to-School Athletic Footwear Survey of major athletic footwear sellers.
Report Forecasts Flattish Online Growth in U.S. for Holiday 2023
Salesforce’s 2023 Holiday Forecast calls for 4 percent global and 1 percent U.S. year-over-year online sales growth across November and December, reaching $1.19 trillion and $273 billion, respectively.
Golf Rounds Played Climb in July
Rounds of golf played advanced 3.2 percent in July and are running up 5.0 percent for the first seven months of 2023, according to Golf Datatech.
EXEC: Department Stores Stung by Apparel Category Woes
Macy’s, Nordstrom, Kohl’s, and Dillard’s saw sales decline in the second quarter as the retailer’s core apparel category faced promotional pressures and weak demand. The active category was a bright spot for Nordstrom, but continued to struggle at Macy’s and Kohl’s.
USPTA Signs Multi-Year Pickleball Deal with Selkirk Sport
The United States Professional Tennis Association announced a three-year agreement with Selkirk Sport. Per the agreement, Selkirk Sport will manufacture the official pickleball and pickleball net of the USPTA.
EXEC: Hibbett Shares Jump on Q2 Beat, Reiterated Guidance
Shares of Hibbett, Inc. surged 22.2 percent, to $45.03 on Friday after Q2 sales arrived in line with guidance due to a strong start to back-to-school selling and as strength in some better footwear brands offset weakness in secondary brands and franchises.
