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.
Author: SGB Executive

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: Clarus Promotes Tripp Wyckoff to Managing Director of Rack Segment
Wyckoff previous served eight years as VP of sales, marketing and service at Thule, where he reportedly grew the brand significantly in the U.S. and was primarily responsible for bringing to market global initiatives, building one-on-one customer relationships and integrating key acquisitions.

EXEC: Black Diamond Parent Finds Private Investment Buyer for Pieps Business
Clarus Corporation, owner of the Black Diamond, RockyMounts, MaxTrax, and Rhino-Rack brands, has secured a buyer for the Pieps GmbH avalanche beacon brand and assets of the JetForce avalanche pack intellectual property.

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

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: 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.

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.

Lowa Revenues Inched Up in 2024 Led by Kids, Winter Shoes and Trail Running
Lowa Sportschuhe GmbH reported sales grew 1.9 percent in 2024 to €233.9 million ($246 mm), marking the second-best result in the German company’s history. Kids, winter shoes and trail running segments led the gains.

EXEC: Titleist Parent Says Tariff Pricing Actions Would Be “Last Lever” Taken
The parent of the Titliest and FootJoy golf brands, delivered a healthy Q1 with both earnings and sales exceeding analyst estimates. Still, management declined to raise the company’s outlook due to uncertainties in the marketplace tied to tariffs and expects some pricing actions to offset the related costs.

EXEC: Helly Hansen Off to Promising Re-Start with New Parent Kontoor Brands
Kontoor Brands Inc. estimated the soon-to-be-acquired Helly Hansen outdoor and workwear brand will deliver double-digit growth in the second half of the year and sounded very positive on the opportunities for Helly, particularly in the U.S. market.

EXEC: Royal Robbins Posts Q1 Increase in U.S. Market for Parent Fenix Outdoor
The parent of the Fjällräven, Royal Robbins, Devold, and Frilufts, generated sales of €157.7 million in the 2025 first quarter, compared to €163.8 million in the 2024 Q1 period, a decrease of 3.7 percent year-over-year.

EXEC: Brooks Running Boasts Strong Q1 Gains in Int’l Markets and U.S. Run Specialty
The company did not provide growth trends or volume for U.S. national retailers although it did provide select market research data for the channel. That channel is heavily dominated by On and Hoka in the current environment. A push in lifestyle may give Brooks, like Asics last year, a solid re-positioning in the channel.

EXEC: Columbia Brand Set to Take Market Share Back in 2025; Q1 Exceeds Outlook
First-quarter net sales and earnings exceeded guidance, driven by late-season demand for winter products and strong early-spring shipments. International markets, which contributed 40 percent of annual sales, performed well, with double-digit growth in the LAAP region and high-single-digit growth in EMEA.

EXEC: Daiwa Parent Warns on FY Sales Results; Will Exceed Profit Forecast
The company reported that outdoor, sports, and leisure industry markets plateaued due to the diversification of consumption into other leisure activities and the impact of rising prices amid the normalization of economic activity.