Vermont Organic Fiber Names Ed Kiniry CEO
Vermont Organic Fiber Co., based in Middlebury, VT, has hired veteran outdoor industry entrepreneur Edward ('Ed') Kiniry as CEO. Formerly, he was president of Winterquest, LLC, the parent company of Tubbs and Atlas snowshoes, selling the company
OIA: Nov. Outdoor Sales Slide
Outdoor Industry Association reported that retail sales for all core outdoor stores fell 11% in November. It marked the first month of overall dollar sales decline since the recession started in December 2007. All three store channels and all four major p
NSGA Confirms Key Speakers for Conference
Best Buy President & Chief Operating Officer Brian Dunn is among the featured speakers who have been confirmed for the 45th Annual NSGA Management Conference & 11th Annual Team Dealer Summit, which will be held May 3-6, 2009, at the Westin La Cantera Reso
Johnson Health Tech Sues Icon
Johnson Health Tech, parent company of Horizon Fitness, has sued Icon Health & Fitness, claiming that the company has produced products infringing on Johnson’s patent no. 7,316,633 of which pertains to an “exercise elliptical machine” patented in January
Study: Obese Now Outweigh the Overweight
A new study by the National Center for Health Statistics finds that the number of obese American adults outweighs the number of those who are considered merely overweight for the first time. The study shows that more than 34% of Americans are obese, compa
Sporting Goods Retailers Sued Over Switchblades
A class action claims that Wal-Mart, Cabela's, Dicks Sporting Goods and others are selling switchblade knives that they know are illegal in Texas…
Avia Partners with Troy Lee Designs
Avia announced a new partnership deal with Troy Lee Designs (TLD), the southern California-based company that produces custom graphic designs for the “world’s fastest racers.” TLD will co-create a collection of AVIA racing shoes with a limited release per
The Finish Line Shrinks Loss, Inventory in Third Quarter
Strong inventory and cost controls combines with a decent performance in footwear to help The Finish Line slightly trim its loss from continuing operations in the third quarter ended November 29. These improvements helped offset continued weakness in appa
More Vendors Restructure Under Economic Pressures
Head N.V. Group plans to close its tennis ball factory in Phoenix, AZ in March of this year. In 2007, the company began manufacturing tennis balls in a new factory in China, and has now made the decision to shut the U.S. facility and manufacture its worl
Suunto Names New Director of Marketing
Suunto North America announces Nate Randle as their Director of Marketing. Randle will start Jan. 19, 2009 for the manufacturer of precision sports instruments…
December Comp Sales Flat for Ross Stores
Ross Stores, Inc. saw sales of $802 million for the five weeks ended Jan. 3, 2009, a 6% increase over the $755 million in sales for the five weeks ended Jan. 5, 2008. Same store sales for the five weeks ended Jan. 3, 2009 were flat on top of a 3% increase
Nordstrom Comps Drop 10.6% in December
Nordstrom, Inc. net sales declined 8.0% for fiscal December to $1.13 billion from $1.22 billion for the year-ago period. Same-store sales for December decreased 10.6% compared with the same period in fiscal 2007…
Stein Mart December Comps Fall 9.3%, Reduces Expense Structure
Stein Mart, Inc. saw total sales for the five-week period ending Jan. 3, 2009 of $178 million, a decrease from $196.3 million during the comparable period last year. Comparable store sales dropped 9.3% for the five-week period ended Jan. 3, 2008, an incre
TJX Sees Flat December Comps, Updates Q4 Outlook
The TJX Companies, Inc. saw sales for the five-week period ended Jan. 3, 2009, of $2.37 billion, a 3% decrease from the $2.43 billion achieved during the five-week period ended Jan. 5, 2008. Consolidated comparable store sales for the five-week period end
Reports: Layoffs at Reef
Reef has laid off as many as 42 employees from its Carlsbad, CA, headquarters, according to several published reports…
