SGB Executive Q&A: Fleet Feet CEO Joey Pointer

Fleet Feet Inc. CEO Joey Pointer sat down with SGB at the company’s National Franchise Conference in Minneapolis this week to discuss the company’s past, present and future, as well as the state of the running retail industry.

Fleet Feet Event Showcases ‘Resurgence’ Of Run Specialty

Dozens of brands in the running footwear, apparel and accessory categories descended on Fleet Feet’s National Franchise conference this week, and while the primary goal was exhibiting their latest product offerings, they also delivered a simple yet powerful message for the industry about the Run Speciality channel.

The Long And Winding Road To Perry Ellis Going Private

For the last few months, Perry Ellis International’s largest shareholder, George Feldenkreis, and the company he founded could sum up their relationship with a familiar social media saying: “It’s complicated.” But the complication appears to have been cleared up, at least for now.

Brand Vision: Collabs Boost Backcountry’s New Private Label

Online outdoor retailer Backcountry isn’t the only beneficiary of product collaborations the company has undertaken with Black Diamond, DPS, Flylow and Smartwool on a new touring collection due out in the fall. The brands themselves and especially customers stand to gain from these new partnerships.

Can Cherokee Stick Landing After ‘Disruptive’ 24 Months?

Cherokee Global Brands ended fiscal 2018 with a loss due to difficulties with the integration of the Hi-Tech brand into the company’s portfolio. And now the start to fiscal 2019 is being marred by the sale of Flip Flop Shops. Can the Tony Hawk brand and others save the company?

Fox Factory Sees Growth In Mountain Bike Market

Speaking at the William Blair 2018 Growth Stock Conference in Chicago, IL, on Wednesday afternoon, Fox Factory Holding Corp. CEO Larry Enterline said the company has significant growth potential with sales of mountain bike parts.

Sweet Spot: Golf’s Evolution Striking Right Balance

In this first of a two-part series on the state of the golf industry, SGB looks at the sport’s participation levels and how associations, private companies, grassroots organizations and local course operators are working to ensure golf continues its current rebound by addressing the needs of core players while also attracting the next generation.

Ski Resort ‘Arms Race’ Escalates With Vail’s Latest Move

Vail Resorts Inc.’s acquisition of four ski resorts earlier this week wasn’t a huge deal financially—at least relative to the company’s annual revenue—but adding locales near key U.S. markets could prove to be a monumental, even epic, move for the Colorado-based ski area operator.

CEO: Duluth Pursuing Omnichannel With ‘Strong Conviction’

Duluth Holdings Inc., parent of Duluth Trading Co., is moving into a “true omnichannel environment with strong conviction,” according to CEO Stephanie Pugliese, who outlined the apparel and accessories company’s progress on this pursuit in Tuesday’s earnings call with analysts.

Lids’ Q1 Performance Sends Genesco Stock Tumbling

Weakness at Lids Sports Group and shares of Genesco Inc. tumbling 9 percent Tuesday overshadowed an otherwise decent Q1 performance that saw the parent company of a variety of retail brands beat Wall Street estimates on income and revenue.

Caleres Capitalizing On Shift To Digital Demand

Even though Caleres Inc. missed analysts’ first-quarter earnings and revenue expectations, which was followed by shares falling slightly Friday morning, recent strides in e-commerce initiatives bode well for the parent company of a range of footwear brands and Famous Footwear retail stores.