Vendors Restructure Under Economic Pressures

The body count from a brutal economy continued to mount last week as four more major manufacturers announced operation restructuring plans to welcome in what has been an exceptionally frosty New Year for vendors and retailers across the board…

SIA: Snow Sports YTD Sales Up 3% through November

According to SnowSports Industries America's (SIA), the snow sports market remained healthy with 3% growth August to November. Snow sports sales surpassed $917 million as the overall retail market faltered in the recession's nadir…

OIA: Nov. Outdoor Sales Slide

Outdoor Industry Association reported that retail sales for all core outdoor stores fell 11% in November. It marked the first month of overall dollar sales decline since the recession started in December 2007. All three store channels and all four major p

Johnson Health Tech Sues Icon

Johnson Health Tech, parent company of Horizon Fitness, has sued Icon Health & Fitness, claiming that the company has produced products infringing on Johnson’s patent no. 7,316,633 of which pertains to an “exercise elliptical machine” patented in January

Retailers See Sales Increase, Comps Down in Q3

Retailers in the active sports lifestyle market posted reasonable sales growth for the fiscal third quarter in the light of the general malaise in the market, as sales grew 3.4% on a consolidated basis for the public company retailers tracked by Sports Ex

The Finish Line Shrinks Loss, Inventory in Third Quarter

Strong inventory and cost controls combines with a decent performance in footwear to help The Finish Line slightly trim its loss from continuing operations in the third quarter ended November 29. These improvements helped offset continued weakness in appa

Trade Shows Exhibiting Some Pressure

With the economy flailing, trade show traffic is expected to take a significant hit in 2009. As budgets get slashed across the board, both retailers and vendors are finding little room left for the traveling, lodging and entertaining costs involved with t

More Vendors Restructure Under Economic Pressures

Head N.V. Group plans to close its tennis ball factory in Phoenix, AZ in March of this year. In 2007, the company began manufacturing tennis balls in a new factory in China, and has now made the decision to shut the U.S. facility and manufacture its worl

Zumiez December Comps Fall 12%

Zumiez, Inc. reported a 12.3% decline in same-store sales after a 3.9% increase in comps for the year ago period. Management said the decrease in comps was driven by a decrease in store transactions and a decrease in average unit retail…

RECALL: RockShox Domain Bicycle Forks

About 175 bicycles with RockShox Domain 302 and 318 bicycle forks, manufactured in Taiwan and imported by SRAM, have been recalled because the forks can detach from the bicycle frames…