Puma Renews Partnership with Manchester City
Puma’s 10-year contract extension on its deal with Manchester City will reportedly be worthup to £1 billion (US$1.3bn), in the form of £100 million per year which is a marked increase from its previous agreement of £65 million per year, signed in 2019.
Oboz and Rip Curl Parent KMD Hires Finance VP for North America
Heather Sweeny, a former Adidas executive, was appointed as VP of Finance across all KMD Brands in North America, including Oboz, Rip Curl and Kathmandu.
Pendleton Woolen Mills Appoints New CEO
Jennifer Ingraffea has most recently served as chief product and merchandising officer at The North Face since October 2020. Previously, she had an 18-year career at Nike. She succeeds John Bishop, a fifth-generation family member, who will remain as CEO through July to work with Ingraffea.
EXEC: Li Ning Posts LSD Growth in China Retail Sales in Second Quarter
The Offline channel, which includes retail and wholesale, registered a low-single-digit increase. Retail (direct operation) declined by mid-single digits, while Wholesale (franchised distributors) increased by low-single digits. The E-commerce channel registered mid-single-digit growth.
Stahls Appoints EMEA General Manager
Martin Borley, most recently served as executive managing director for Stahls’ UK and Europe. He was promoted to chief executive officer of Stahls’ EMEA, reporting to Carleen Gray, CEO of GroupeStahl, Inc.
Running USA Executive Director Departs for Leadership Role at USA Track & Field
Jay Holder will support Running USA’s transition efforts until a new executive director is named. Kathleen Titus, president of the Board of Directors, will assume the role of interim executive director role.
Varsity Brands’ Debt Ratings Upgraded by S&P
S&P Global Ratings stated the debt ratings upgrade for Varsity Brands, the parent of BSN Sports and Varsity Spirit, reflects “solid demand in both segments, management’s effective execution in expanding the businesses, and the wind-down of significant legal and restructuring cash expenses.”
Pure Hockey Opens Third Store in Ohio
The retail store in New Albany, OH, a suburb of Columbus, is the company’s third in the state and 84th overall. A grand opening will be held later this year.
St. John’s University Switches to Adidas from Nike
Adidas will begin outfitting the school’s 300-plus student athletes in the 2025/26 academic year across 17 varsity athletic programs. St. John’s University Red Storm becomes the only Big East Conference team to be outfitted by Adidas.
EXEC: JD Sports Fashion Reports Exit of Non-Executive Board Director
Helen Ashton, a non-executive director of the company’s Board of Directors and chair of the Board’s Audit and Risk Committee, has reportedly notified the company of her intention to step down to focus on other commitments.
CNBC/NRF Report Sees June Retail Sales Trends Moderate; Sporting Goods Sector Accelerates
Growth in the Clothing, Footwear and Accessories store sector decelerated from the prior-month trend. The category that includes Sporting Goods stores was up 8.5 percent y/y unadjusted in June after an 8.2 percent y/y gain in May.
Bass Pro to Host Grand Opening for Clifton Park Store
A highlight of the store is its 12,000-gallon aquarium featuring freshwater fish native to the region. The store has also tailored its inventory to serve the freshwater fishermen in the area.
Survey: Americans Changing Purchasing Decisions on Potential Impact of Tariffs
Nearly eight in ten (77 percent) respondents believe tariffs will impact their household finances, with 41 percent noting it has already hurt their wallets, according to a survey of 1,000 U.S. adults by the market research firm Savanta.
Adobe: Amazon Prime Day Drives 30.3 percent Rise in U.S. Online Spending
The Prime Day sale that ran for four days from Tuesday, July 8 to Friday, July 11 helped boost online spending sales across all Uretailers in the U.S. by 30.3 percent to $24.1 billion, according to Adobe, Inc., which tracked the activity, topping its estimate for 28.4 percent growth for the period ending July 11.
Padel Haus Raises $7M In Funding Round
The Brooklyn-based padel club operator, has raised $7 million in a Series B funding round to accelerate the company’s expansion. By year’s end, it aims to operate 40 courts and reach 120 courts and more than 20 wholly owned locations by 2027.
