Author: SGB Media

The board of directors of Thule Group AB has decided to withdraw previously communicated proposal for a dividend of SEK 7.50 (US$0.72) per share, or a total of SEK 774 million (US$74.2 million).

Due to the coronavirus, Vibram announced that it has decided to temporarily suspend production at its Italian facility, located in Albizzate, for at least a week, in order to allow all workers to stay at home safely. The company also provided updates for its U.S. and Chinese operations.

Even as Outdoor Retailer said last week it was still planning to host its Summer Market this June in Denver, CO, one prominent outdoor brand—Mountain Hardwear—announced it would not attend the show as well as the Grassroots Outdoor Association in Knoxville, TN, also scheduled to be held in June.

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.

The Week’s Top Headlines across the Active Lifestyle Industry as reported in SGB Updates during the week of March 16, 2020.

Outdoor Retailer Summer Market, scheduled for June 23-25 at Colorado Convention Center in Denver, CO, is still on as of March 20 despite the spread of the coronavirus, the company announced in a Friday morning email.

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.”

Diversified Communications has decided to postpone its Best Running Stores event due to the escalating COVID-19 outbreaks and contagion.

Simon Property Group announced Thursday that it will close all of its retail properties, including malls, premium outlets and mills in the U.S. to address the spread of COVID-19.

Outdoor Industry Association on Thursday announced it is postponing the April 2020 Capitol Summit in Washington, DC. The organization said it hopes to reschedule this event at a future date.

Shoe Carnival Inc. on Thursday provided an update on its operations in response to the continued spread of COVID-19. The company will temporarily close its stores to consumers across the U.S. and Puerto Rico until April 2, 2020, effective today.