
Walmart Building More Than A Marketplace for Sellers
Company leaders outlined category expansions, multichannel fulfillment and new features that Walmart believes will simplify selling across markets to the thousands of sellers attending its “Let’s Grow” 2024 Marketplace Summit on August 27.

EXEC: Foot Locker Gives Q2 Nod to Nike in Basketball, Adidas and New Balance in Lifestyle
North America overall comps were up 1.7 percent for the quarter, led by Foot Locker North America, which delivered a comp increase of 5.9 percent.

EXEC: Wall Street Reacts as Foot Locker CEO Talks Turnaround Plan and Positive Q2 Comps
FL shares have been on a bit a roll, with the stock up 24 percent in the last month and 42 percent over a three-month period, but the Q2 results weren’t positive enough to build on that momentum as FL shares fell in double digits on Wednesday.

Apparel Group Continues Expansion, Opens 100 New Stores in First Half
Representing globally recognized brands, including Steve Madden, Skechers, Asics, and Levi’s, to name a few, Apparel Group has a strong footprint in key markets, including India, Bahrain, the UAE, Oman, and Saudi Arabia.

Milliken & Company Names Textile Business President
Jacoby has full operational responsibility for Milliken’s product portfolio as EVP and president of its textile business. He succeeds David Smith who is retiring after 45 years of working for Milliken.

Kohl’s Corporation Ups Full Year Earnings Outlook After Q2 Earnings Beat
The retailer saw net sales decrease 4.2 percent year-over-year, with comparable sales down 5.1 percent year-over-year, but it also posted a 13 percent increase in earnings driven by GM expansion and strong inventory and expense management.

EXEC: Foot Locker Exiting New York for Sunnier Environs; Shakes Up Europe and Asia Model
Foot Locker Inc. is pulling up stakes in New York City and moving to St. Petersburg, FL in 2025. The company plans to maintain only a limited presence in New York City going forward.

Foot Locker Inc. Sees Core Foot Locker Banner Comps Grow 5.2 Percent in Q2
Comparable sales increased by 2.6 percent for the quarter, led by 5.2 percent growth in global Foot Locker and Kids Foot Locker comparable sales. The second-quarter net loss was $12 million, compared to a $5 million net loss in Q2 last year.

EXEC: Sports Direct Parent Invests in Australian Sportstyle Retailer
Frasers Group plc, the parent of the UK-based retailer Sports Direct, has acquired a 14.65 percent strategic investment in Accent Group Ltd., a retailer in the performance and lifestyle market in Australia and New Zealand.

Puma Promotes Indy Sen to SVP Puma Group Sourcing
Sen assumes the operational responsibilities of the chief sourcing officer, replacing Anne-Laure Descours, who is not extending her board contract and will instead support Puma as an external sustainability advisor.

PVH Corp. Raises Full Year EPS Guidance after Q2 Earnings Beat
The parent of the Tommy Hilfiger and Calvin Klein brands reported it drove substantial gross margin and operating margin expansion in Q2 and reaffirmed revenue and non-GAAP operating margin guidance, reflecting disciplined execution of the PVH+ Plan.

Nordstrom, Inc. Gets Lift from A-Sale Timing and Active in Second Quarter
Nordstrom said active, women’s apparel, beauty and kids had the strongest growth versus 2023. During the Anniversary Sale, the top growing categories were beauty, active and home.

Have We Seen the Last of the In-Store Snow Sports Pre-Season Sale?
The days of the old SNIAGRAB and Powder Daze seem to be over as the one-time annual sales events that snow sports retailers used to sell off past season apparel and gear are left behind in favor of a wider selling window and web sales.

EXEC: Saucony and Merrell Post H1 Surge in China as Xtep Takes Full Control
Saucony and Merrell are now operating under a licensing model in China, and housed within Xtep International’s new Professional Sports segment of business, representing 8.2 percent of total revenues for the company.

EXEC: Mainland Headwear H1 Hurt by Economy, Slow Mexico Factory Output
With production at its new Mexico factory yet to run smoothly as the newly recruited local staff are grappling with workflow., the company has run into high operating costs, resulting in an operating loss for the H1 period.