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.
Author: SGB Executive

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.

EXEC: Authentic Inks New ANZ Licensing Partner for Former Boardriders Brands
Authentic said the move secures the future of over 200 branded retail stores, wholesale and e-commerce platforms, and ongoing success for Quiksilver, Billabong, Roxy, RVCA, DC Shoes, Element, VonZipper, Spyder, and Volcom.

EXEC: Gymshark to Restructure, Causing Hundreds of Position Cuts and Adds
After reporting that earnings in its latest year had declined due to omnichannel investments and is facing “intense macro-economic volatility” in the marketplace, Gymshark reported it is restructuring the company.

EXEC: Big 5 CEO Expects Little Near-Term Tariff Impact Due to Early Q2 Receipts
Second quarter-to-date sales are reportedly down in the high-single-digit range, in part reflecting an approximate negative 400 basis point impact from one less sales day in the period-to-date due to the Easter calendar shift.