EXEC: Amer Sports Files Confidentially to Go Public

Amer Sports, the parent of Salomon, Wilson, Arc’teryx and other sports brands, filed confidentially for a U.S. initial public offering that could value the group as high as $10 billion. The offering would come as Amer Sports’ business has seen accelerated growth, driven by Arc’teryx and Salomon and growth in China.

Study: American Malls Making a Comeback Post-Pandemic

A study conducted by Coresight Research found that traffic at U.S. shopping malls has recovered and surpassed pre-COVID levels, supported by the “halo effect” created by a brand’s online and offline presence in a mall, brand synergy in malls and omnichannel retail investments.

EXEC: Caleres Sees Famous Footwear Gaining Share

Famous Footwear’s same-store sales declined 4.3 percent in the second quarter but showed sequential improvement from the first quarter and is estimated to be taking market share. Jay Schmidt, president and CEO of Caleres, the parent of Famous, told analysts on a call, “During the second quarter, Famous continued to navigate difficult spending trends among its target consumer and the challenging economic backdrop overall.”

EXEC: Academy Sports’ Shares Jump On Upbeat Outlook

Shares of Academy Sports and Outdoors, Inc. closed up $4.63, or 9.3 percent, to $54.57 Thursday as second-quarter earnings topped analysts’ estimates and the retailer reiterated its guidance for the year. Academy officials said sales steadily improved throughout the second quarter as customers responded to its message around value and newness.

EXEC: Shoe Carnival Sees Athletic Sales Trends Improve in Q2

Shoe Carnival, Inc. reported that same-store sales in the adult athletic category were down low single digits in the second quarter but improved sequentially from down low-teens in the first quarter. Company officials told analysts the category continues to benefit from “materially” improved inventory levels versus last year and a new campaign designed to “reactivate” former athletic footwear purchasers.

EXEC: Active Lifestyle Well Represented on 2023 Inc. 5000 List

Golftec, Xero Shoes, SylvanSport, Stinger Sports, Bases Loaded and GiantMouse are brands in the wide range of companies in the active lifestyle space to land in Inc’s 5000 for 2023 annual ranking of the fastest-growing private companies in America—a snapshot of companies’ performance from 2019 to 2022.

EXEC: Department Stores Stung by Apparel Category Woes

Macy’s, Nordstrom, Kohl’s, and Dillard’s saw sales decline in the second quarter as the retailer’s core apparel category faced promotional pressures and weak demand. The active category was a bright spot for Nordstrom, but continued to struggle at Macy’s and Kohl’s.

EXEC: Gap Confident in Athleta’s Turnaround Prospects

Athleta’s same-store sales were down in the second quarter for the third quarter in a row but showed improvement sequentially with sales of performance bottoms accelerating. On its analyst call, Gap Inc. officials expressed confidence in the ability of Athleta’s new leadership team, led by former Alo Yoga’s president Chris Blakeslee, to guide the continued recovery.