Author: Eric Smith

For this latest installment of the Coronavirus Notebook, SGB Executive looks at the myriad contributions from brands across the active-lifestyle marketplace in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, including pivoting production lines to make personal protective equipment, providing gear for first responders and making cash donations. (Read More)

A savvy combination of opportunistic and strategic moves fueled Sportsman’s Warehouse Holdings Inc. in the fourth quarter and should bolster the company as the coronavirus crisis escalates. But like most retailers, uncertainty related to the COVID-19 outbreak has tempered the company’s expectations for this quarter and beyond. (Read More)

Winnebago Industries Inc. began its fiscal third quarter on March 1 with high hopes and enough momentum to fuel a fleet of motorhomes. But like it has for many companies, the coronavirus knocked Winnebago off course. On the fiscal Q2 earnings call with analysts, CEO Mike Happe explained the difficult decision to shutter operations just as spring and the prime RV season kicks off. (Read More)

Nike Inc. didn’t escape the fiscal third quarter entirely unscathed, and headwinds remain globally in Q4 and beyond, but the company managed to evade a revenue and earnings plunge thanks to the “playbook” it deployed as the coronavirus spread across China in recent months. (Read More)

Fallout from the coronavirus pandemic continues to rankle the active-lifestyle marketplace. Most retailers have temporarily closed their doors. Sports leagues show no signs of resuming play. And now the Summer Olympics has been postponed until 2021. The ripple effect of the coronavirus (COVID-19) is reaching new pockets of the U.S. economy and will linger for months to come. (Read More)

The coronavirus has forced many retailers to temporarily close their doors, but Birmingham, AL-based Hibbett Sports Inc. believes its locations are better positioned than big-box competitors and isn’t issuing a companywide shutdown. Hibbett CEO Mike Longo spoke on the fourth-quarter earnings call Friday morning—his first since being named to the top post last December—about the company’s resiliency amid this current crisis. (Read More)

The coronavirus has taken a huge toll on Vail Resorts Inc., which closed its 34 North American resorts (with the chance of reopening three of them). Vail remains in a strong financial position, but such an abrupt end to the ski season quickly turned the company’s fiscal 2020 into a “year to forget.” (Read More)

A burgeoning ski category includes three relative newcomers—Dahu Boots, Envy Snow Sports and Mad Jack Snowsports—plus a longtime player, all of whom aim to remove foot pain by making more comfortable boot systems. SGB Executive breaks down their efforts to bring more people to the sport and keep them on the slopes for longer. (Read More)

The chaos that coronavirus is causing across the active lifestyle marketplace is unprecedented. And while it’s hard to claim any “winners” when an outbreak such as Covid-19 is wreaking so much havoc on everyday life, a couple of categories in this space stand to benefit—firearms and at-home fitness manufacturers. (Read More)

Sequential Brands Group Inc. began 2020 with a key leadership change, and the New York, NY-based parent of Avia, And1 and Gaiam is eyeing further transformational moves this year with a strategic review that could include acquisitions, divestitures and more. (Read More)

The coronavirus has hit mountain towns especially hard, and Saturday afternoon was an inflection point for the ski industry. When Vail Resorts Inc. announced it was suspending operations at its North American ski areas, most others followed suit. (Read More)

John Walbrecht, president of Clarus Corp. and its flagship brand Black Diamond (BD), said the Salt Lake City, UT-based company could be adding another asset to its portfolio that also includes Sierra Bullets, Pieps and SKINourishment. His comments came after a strong Q4 led by double-digit growth at Black Diamond. (Read More)

Vail Resorts on Monday withdrew its fiscal 2020 guidance because it’s not yet sure how badly the coronavirus outbreak will sag its financial performance. The company plans to provide an update next week, but right now Vail plans to keep all its resorts open as scheduled, according to CEO Rob Katz, who addressed this issue and others on the fiscal second-quarter earnings call. (Read More)

Bjorn Fjellstad, managing director of the Norwegian apparel and protective gear maker Sweet Protection, is working to build momentum across the globe but especially in the U.S., which represents the brand’s biggest growth opportunity. He spoke with SGB Executive about Sweet Protection’s sharpened focus on this market, including the launch of a new category. (Read More)

The fiscal third quarter brought significant change to American Outdoor Brands Corp. (AOBC), whose portfolio includes the iconic firearms maker Smith & Wesson plus several brands in the sportsman’s and outdoor gear categories. Despite some stumbles in Q3, look for AOBC’s post-spinoff companies to prosper. (Read More)

Fox Factory Holding Corp. shares were up in the mid-single digits Wednesday morning after reporting an earnings and revenue beat for the fourth quarter driven by strength across all categories, including the company’s Specialty Sports Group. That segment includes Fox Factory’s bike component brands—Fox, Marzocchi, Easton cycling and RaceFace. (Read More)

The coronavirus, or COVID-19, is wreaking havoc across the global supply chain. SGB Executive’s latest report looks at the outbreak’s economic impact on the active lifestyle marketplace, including how companies, consumers and even trade show operators are reacting. (Read More)

BSN Sports dominated last month’s M&A activity. The Dallas, TX-based team sports apparel and equipment distributor announced a trio of acquisitions in February, bringing the company’s 2020 total to four. Also, the boutique outdoor and active lifestyle public relations firm CGPR found a new home with a larger agency in a deal that provides synergies for both. (Read More)

Acushnet Holdings Corp. is riding an impressive wave of momentum into 2020. But the Fairhaven, MA-based parent of Titleist and other brands is facing a sizeable hazard midway through the first quarter, one that should be a drag on the top and bottom lines for at least the first half of the year—the coronavirus. (Read More)