Author: Thomas J. Ryan

On Glassdoor’s 2022 Top 100 Best Places To Work in the U.S., Lululemon ranked number nine among the Top 25 employers. Other retailers in the Active Lifestye space to make this year’s Top 100 list included Vans at number 85, Scheels, #90 and REI at #95. 

Olin Corporation reported sales in its Winchester ammunition segment grew 14.7 percent in the fourth quarter, and Olin officials expect an uptick in hunt participants over the last two years to continue to drive growth in the quarters ahead.

Shares of VF Corp. slid 6.5 percent on Friday after the company reported better-than-expected third-quarter results but lowered its sales outlook due to a deteriorating performance by Vans and weakness in China. A number of analysts lowered their price targets and downwardly adjusted estimates on VF while indicating the stock’s improvement is largely tied to Vans regaining top-line momentum.

VF Corp.’s third-quarter earnings topped analyst targets, with The North Face accelerating momentum during the critical holiday quarter. However, shares were trading down in mid-day trading Friday as VF trimmed its sales outlook due to a deteriorating performance by Vans.

New analysis by Kearney shows that continued supply chain disruptions could cost the North American apparel and footwear industry between $9 billion and $17 billion in lost EBITDA (earnings before taxes, depreciation and amortization) in 2022.

Levi Strauss & Co. reported its top-line momentum accelerated in the fourth quarter ended November 28 after seeing sales return to pre-COVID levels in the third quarter, helping the denim giant reach its highest annual revenue since 1998. Chip Bergh, president and CEO, sees “several multi-year tailwinds,” including the casualization trend, driving future growth.

Nike scored an upgrade from Wells Fargo due in part to signs of recovery in China while Under Armour upgrades from Citi Research as well as BMO Capital Markets due to confidence in the brand’s transformation efforts.

In its first report since going public, Signa Sports United (SSU), the Berlin-based sports e-commerce platform, reported sales climbed 10 percent in the fourth quarter and 24 percent in its fiscal year ended September 30. The better-than-expected performance came despite supply chain challenges that limited growth in the full-bike and e-bike category.

In its second-annual report on the sporting-goods industry, “Sporting Goods 2022: The new normal is here,” The World Federation of the Sporting Goods Industry (WFSGI) and McKinsey teamed up to find the sporting-goods industry experienced a broad recovery in 2021 and is expected to see above-average growth over the next several years. The report also called out five key trends set to shape the sporting-goods industry in 2022.

At an investor meeting hosted by Craig-Hallum, Jon Barker, CEO of Sportsman’s Warehouse, reasserted his bullish outlook on the retailer’s ability to reach more than 300 stores on its own following the termination of its merger with Bass Pro. Larger competitor moves to reduce their emphasis on shooting sports and pent-up demand from shooting sports due to low inventory levels of ammunition inventory are seen as newer growth drivers.

Following a cycle of bad news that has caused Peloton Interactive’s stock price to drop below its 2019 IPO price, CEO John Foley late Thursday acknowledged that the company is adjusting its output and reviewing its cost structure but denied that production is halting.

At the 2022 NRF Big Show, top executives at JD.com and Authentic Brands Group discussed how pervasive, mobile and big the opportunities are surrounding Chinese shopping festivals.

At the 2022 NRF Big Show in New York City, Nordstrom’s President and Chief Brand Officer Pete Nordstrom provided an extensive view of the retailer’s revamped merchandising strategy that has lately included expanded assortments, the arrival of several direct-to-consumer brands and partnerships with retail competitors. One collaboration he discussed during the session was its new deal with Fanatics.

At a 2022 NRF Big Show session, the top sustainability executives from Walmart and Rothy’s said one of the biggest lessons they have learned to achieve environmental goals is to set short-term targets as a pathway to long-term goals.

In its inaugural Style Forecast report, Stitch Fix predicted continued growth in athleisure and the emergence of the “business comfort” workwear category that combines athleisure with a “polish” look often associated with traditional workwear.