Nike Holds Staff Meeting Over Culture Challenges
On Thursday, Mark Parker, CEO of Nike Inc., held a rare company-wide staff meeting at the company’s headquarters to apologize for allowing a culture where staff members were excluded and workplace complaints of inappropriate behavior were dismissed, according to The Wall Street Journal.

VF’s March Quarter Highlighted By Vans’ Explosive Growth
VF reported earnings for the transition quarter ended March 31 rose 20.9 percent on a 21.7 percent revenue gain. Excluding the Williamson-Dickie acquisition, revenues increased 12 percent (up 8 percent currency neutral).

Adidas AG’s North American Momentum Continues
Adidas AG said a slowdown in Western Europe and continued weakening the company’s key footwear franchises in the first quarter was more than matched by strong sales momentum overall in North America and Greater China, an accelerating apparel business and strong full-price selling.

Adidas Records Double-Digit Top- And Bottom-Line Growth In Q1
Adidas reported earnings climbed 17 percent in the first quarter as sales grew on a currency-neutral basis and gross margin expanded 150 basis points. Growth was particularly strong in North America, up 21 percent on a currency-neutral basis, and Asia-Pacific, ahead 15 percent.
Academy Sports To Open Two New Locations In NC
Academy Ltd., dba Academy Sports + Outdoors, will open the company’s first stores in Matthews, NC and Winston-Salem, NC, this summer. The company recently opened the first store in New Bern, NC, last month.
Gildan Reaffirms Guidance Amid Q1 Income & Revenue Decline
Gildan Activewear Inc.’s net income and revenue tumbled in the first quarter ended April 1, but both were within management expectations and the company reaffirmed full-year guidance issued on Feb. 22.
Gander Outdoors Opens Four More Locations
Gander Outdoors, formerly known as Gander Mountain, set grand opening celebrations for new stores in Bemidji, MN; Florence, AL; Kingston, NY and Sheboygan, WI.

PGA Tour Superstore Opens Second Houston Store
PGA Tour Superstore announced the upcoming grand opening of a store at Katy Ranch Crossing Shopping Center in Houston.

April M&A Roundup: What’s In Store For Volcom?
April was relatively quiet with fewer notable deals in the sporting goods, outdoor and lifestyle brand verticals, but some large companies such as Columbia and Nike acquired growth while some brands such as Volcom were put on the market.

Big 5 Wacked By Weather Woes In Q1
Big 5 Sporting Goods reported that a lack of cold weather crushed its winter business early in the first quarter while the arrival of chilly weather restrained its spring business later in the quarter.

Under Armour Elevates ‘Loud Brand, Quiet Company’ Focus
A mostly positive first quarter that saw Under Armour Inc. beat analyst expectations on earnings and revenue has the company doubling down on the “loud brand, quiet company” strategy announced earlier this year.

Champion Shines Again For HanesBrands In Q1
HanesBrands Inc. said Champion’s sales outside of the mass channel in the U.S. catapulted over 50 percent in the first quarter, driven by strong consumer demand, space gains in the specialty channels and growth in the online channel.

SGB Executive Q&A: Hibbett Execs Discuss New App, Digital Strategy
Jeff Rosenthal and Bill Quinn of Hibbett Sporting Goods spoke with SGB Executive about how the company’s newly unveiled app fits into the retailer’s digital strategy and was designed to meet consumers’ shopping and buying demands.

Hibbett Sports Introduces New App & Chance To Win Free Sneakers For A Year
Retailer Hibbett Sporting Goods Inc., which operates more than 1,000 athletic apparel, footwear and equipment stores in small and mid-sized markets, today announced the launch of a new mobile app for iOS and Android.

Under Armour’s Q1 Tops Wall Street’s Targets
Under Armour Inc. reported break-even results in the first quarter, exceeding Wall Street’s expectation. Sales also came in slightly ahead of expectations. Sales in North America were flat while international growth was 27 percent. The company maintained its guidance for the year.