A wide majority of vendors in the actve lifestyle space reported first-quarter results that topped Wall Street’s expectations with many raising guidance for the year. Among brands, Vans, Champion, Puma and Callaway Golf stood out with healthy double-digit top-line growth but earnings from Nike, Deckers Outdoor, Columbia Sportswear and Wolverine Worldwide all easily topped Wall Street’s targets.
Author: SGB Media
Feller Appoints Ted Irwin As National Sales Director
Apparel maker Feller has appointed Ted Irwin as national sales director. Irwin has a range of experience growing and servicing retail account bases, boosting brand equity and helping retailers earn healthy margins. He formerly worked for K2, Victorinox, Bed:Stu, Keen and Arc’teryx over several decades in key territories, primarily sales.
Gerber Appoints Andrew Gritzbaugh As General Manager
Knife and multitool maker Gerber has appointed Andrew Gritzbaugh as general manager. He will be based in the company’s Portland, OR, headquarters.
L.L.Bean Partners With Hike It Baby
L.L.Bean entered into a three-year partnership with the nationally recognized non-profit organization Hike it Baby. L.L.Bean will be the Presenting and Founding Partner of the Trail Network.
Fitbit Ships More Than One Million Fitbit Versa Devices
Fitbit Inc. announced that the company has shipped more than one million Fitbit Versa devices since general availability began on April 16. Additionally, Fitbit announced that more than 2.4 million users have already used the company’s new female health tracking feature, which became available to all Fitbit app users last month.
Rossignol Partners With IDG Capital To Support China Growth
The Rossignol Group signed an agreement with IDG Capital, a leading China focused investment firm with U.S. origins and global presence. Through a capital increase leading to a 20 percent ownership in the company, IDG Capital will use the company’s expertise to support the development of the French group on the Chinese market.
VF Corp. Completes Acquisition Of Altra
VF Corp. announced that the company has completed the company’s previously announced acquisition of the Altra, the running footwear brand. According to a regulatory filing, the purchase price is $135.0 million.
Teamwork Athletic Apparel Launches E-Commerce
Teamwork Athletic Apparel, the seller of team uniforms, announced that the company’s recently launched website and service, ProSphere Fan Shop , now fully e-commerce.
OluKai Hand-Dyed Hawaiian Blue Small Batch Collection
OluKai’s Hawaiian Blue small-batch shoe collection is 100-percent unique due to being hand crafted and hand-dyed with indigo plants grown in Hawaii.
Retail Report Roundup
Studies arrived last week on teens exiting Facebook, the potential appeal of augmented reality (AR) on online apparel sales, the loyalty benefit for purpose-driven brands, Amazon’s dominant conversion market share across categories, Father’s Day spending, and the pitfalls of offering too-many-choices online.
Adventure Film Maker Andy Mann Teams Up With Eagle Creek
Andy Mann, award-winning photographer for National Geographic, recently teamed up with Eagle Creek.
Vail Resorts To Acquire Four Ski Resorts
Vail Resorts Inc. has agreed to acquire Triple Peaks LLC, the parent company of Okemo Mountain Resort in Vermont, Mount Sunapee Resort in New Hampshire and Crested Butte Mountain Resort in Colorado. In a separate transaction, Vail is acquiring Stevens Pass Resort in Washington.
Sports Direct Launches Proxy Battle For Iconix Board
Sports Direct, which owns 9 percent of the shares of Iconix Brand Group, nominated four candidates for the licensing company’s board of directors while asserting that Iconix’s current leadership is mismanaging the company.
RILA Warns Of Downstream Impact Of Steel And Aluminum Tariffs
RILA (Retail Industry Industry Leaders Association) said the Trump Administration’s announcement that it will impose new steel and aluminum tariffs has “created a three-front trade war, targeting NAFTA, China, and now the European Union, with no resolution to any of these disputes in sight.”
OIA Concerned Over Steel And Aluminum Tariffs
In a statement, Rich Harper, manager of international trade at the Outdoor Industry Association (OIA), warned that tariffs could “significantly” raise costs for products like trekking and ski poles, tent frames, carabineers, crampons, stoves and other products made in the U.S. by outdoor companies that source steel or aluminum from the Canada,, Mexico and the European Union.
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