EXEC: Saucony is the New Darling for Wolverine Worldwide as Sales Jump 30 Percent in Q1
The Saucony brand is clearly the new darling at its parent company in Grand Rapids, Michigan, delivering revenue growth of 31.1 percent in constant-currency terms in Q1, but is also gaining steam in China, where the licensee there reported 40 percent growth.
Import Cargo Levels Expected to See First Year-Over-Year Drop Since 2023
Import cargo at the nation’s major container ports is expected to see its first year-over-year decline in over a year and a half this month as the effect of tariffs imposed by the administration on the supply chain increases, according to the Global Port Tracker report released by the National Retail Federation and Hackett Associates.
EXEC: Merrell Parent’s CEO Lays Out Q1 Results, Tariff Plans and Q2 Growth Estimates
Wolverine Worldwide first quarter revenue grew by over 5 percent on an ongoing basis and nearly 7 percent on a constant-currency basis, with the results driven by the company’s two biggest brands: Saucony and Merrell.
EXEC: REI Members Reject Three Co-op Backed Board of Director Candidates
Employees and organizers of the REI Union effort have taken credit for running a successful and disruptive attempt to reject the candidates put forward by the co-op’s current Board of Directors and offered up their candidates
CNBC/NRF Retail Monitor Reveals April Easter/Spring Break Boost
Growth in the Clothing, Footwear and Accessories store sector accelerated from the March trend, and the sector that includes Sporting Goods stores was up 9.2 percent y/y unadjusted in April after a strong 6.6 percent y/y gain in March.
EXEC: REI Co-op Halves 2024 Net Loss, Improves Margins, Reduces Inventories
The co-op reported that 2024 net sales declined ~6.2 percent to $3.53 billion, compared to $3.76 billion in 2023, while investing over $282 million back into the co-op community and ending the year in a cash flow neutral position.
EXEC: SportChek’s Q1 Same-Store Sales Expand 6.3 Percent at CTC
Canadian Tire Corp. reported SportChek delivered a third consecutive quarter of comparable sales growth, up 6.3 percent, driven by strong sales across corporate and franchise stores. Skiing, snowboards, hockey, and outerwear were the top-performing categories in the quarter.
EXEC: Puma SE Profit Plunges on Flat Q1 Sales Growth; Confirms 500 Position Cuts
The company reported flat year-over-year sales growth in the first quarter on a currency-adjusted basis and a 1.3 percent decline in reported terms, as Wholesale fell behind and DTC sales posted double-digit growth.
HanesBrands Reiterates FY Outlook as Q1 Tops Targets
After reporting better-than-expected first-quarter results, HanesBrands Inc. reiterated its full-year 2025 guidance, which includes its expected impacts from U.S. tariffs. U.S. sales decreased 1 percent while international sales slid 2 percent but gained 4 percent on a constant-currency basis
Coleman, Marmot Parent’s Debt Ratings Downgraded By S&P
S&P Global Ratings lowered the debt ratings of Newell Brands Inc., parent of Coleman, Marmot, Ex Officio, Stearns, Bubba and Contigo and other consumer brands, due to the company’s exposure to weakening discretionary demand for its products and incremental costs from announced tariffs.
Costco April Comps Grow 6.7 Percent x-Gas; E-Commerce Up High Teens
Costco Wholesale Corporation reported net sales of $21.18 billion for April, the four weeks ending May 4, 2025, an increase of 7.0 percent from $19.80 billion in 2024.
Fleet Feet Chicago Opens Ninth Chicagoland Store
Fleet Feet Chicago opened its first Chicagoland store in 1996. The Algonquin store marks the ninth Fleet Feet Chicago network store, owned and operated by Dave and Lisa Zimmer.
Rossignol Group Names Adam Ketcheson Chief Commercial Officer
The addition of Ketcheson, effective June 2, is expected to accelerate Rossignol’s international omni-channel deployment and contribute to its multi-season, multi-sport strategy.
NRF Chief Economist: Top-Line GDP Figures Overstate the Weakness in the Economy
The NRF reported private final sales to domestic purchasers, a measurement that focuses on consumer and business spending, were up 3.1 percent following a 2.2 percent gain in the prior quarter, suggesting a relatively steady pace of growth.
EXEC: Under Armour’s and Mizuno’s So. America Partner Posts High-Teens Q1 Growth
The company, which manages the Under Armour, Mizuno and Olympikus brands in South America, said in its Q1 report that the e-commerce channel continued its strong growth trajectory during the first quarter, posting a 53.8 percent y/y increase for the quarter.
