Swiss running brand On delivered its seventh consecutive record quarter in revenues and achieved its highest gross margin since its August-2022 IPO. However, shares closed down slightly on Tuesday due to concerns over elevated inventory levels and its ability to deliver growth to match On’s stock’s high multiple.
Author: Thomas J. Ryan
Thomas J. Ryan
Senior Business Editor | SGB Media
tryan@sgbonline.com | 917.375.4699
EXEC: Samsonite Sees Gregory’s Q3 Sales Climb 23 Percent
Samsonite International S.A. reported sales from its Gregory backpack brand grew 23 percent in the third quarter while an overall recovery in travel led to similar gains for the overall company.
EXEC: Study Finds Team Sports Participation Trails Pre-Pandemic Level
According to the Aspen Institute’s recently released State of Play 2023 report, kids are trying sports about as much as they did before COVID-19, but they’re not playing as frequently.
EXEC: Kamik CEO Talks 125 Years of Fighting Bad Weather
The Montreal-based boot maker is celebrating its 125th anniversary of protecting feet from wet, chilly, slushy, and icy conditions. CEO Gillian Meek talked with SGB Executive about the company’s roots, the benefits of Canadian manufacturing, the brand’s strength in kid’s boots, and more.
Descente Sees Mid-Single-Digit Growth in Fiscal H1
Descente, Ltd. reported that revenues for the fiscal six months ended September 30 rose 4.9 percent to ¥59.9 billion ($396 mm) from ¥57.2 billion a year ago. Gains from the incorporation of Le Coq Sportif (Ningbo) Co. Ltd. (NLCS) into China’s consolidated results and growth in activewear overall offset decreased sales in golfwear.
EXEC: Asics Lifts Outlook On Robust Third Quarter Results
Asics Corp. raised its outlook for the year after reporting strong earnings improvement in the third quarter and nine months ended September 30. Sales grew 14.5 percent in the third quarter and 23.4 percent in the nine months with healthy gains across regions.
EXEC: Mizuno’s Fiscal Q2 Sales Expand Across All Regions; Running and Golf Decline
Mizuno Corp.’s sales grew 8.1 percent in the fiscal second quarter ended September 30 and 23.8 percent in the half. The Japanese-based sporting goods sales and profits reached record levels in the six months, with sales increasing across all geographies and in all its main business categories.
EXEC: Yeti Eyes Return to Double-Digit Growth In Fourth Quarter
Yeti Holdings Inc. slightly reduced its sales guidance for the year due in part to cautious ordering from wholesale partners but still expects sales to return to double-digit sales gains in the fourth quarter as the brand recovers from a massive recall and experiences positive sell-throughs at U.S. wholesale channel across drinkware and coolers & equipment segments.
EXEC: Under Armour Can’t Dodge North American Turbulence
Under Armour reported sales and earnings in the fiscal second quarter ended September 30 topped analyst targets, but annual sales guidance was reduced due to further deterioration in the North American wholesale business. CEO Stephanie Linnartz told analysts, “Several forces are at play here, including inflation and consumer confidence, normalizing inventory levels amid still broad promotions, and overall softness in our future wholesale order book.”
EXEC: Black Diamond’s NA Sales Show Some Stabilization
Clarus Corp. reported that Black Diamond’s sales improved sequentially from the second quarter and were down modestly in the third quarter as the North American region showed signs of stabilization to offset softness in its European business.
EXEC: Investor Doubts Follow Fox Factory’s Acquisition of Marucci Sports
Fox Factory’s plans to acquire Marucci Sports, the maker of baseball bats and gloves, for $572.0 million has drawn skepticism from Wall Street analysts concerned about the timing given the company’s struggles and how the acquisition fits alongside its core suspension components businesses.
Birkenstock Gets Lift from First Run of Post-IPO Analyst Reports
Wall Street brokerages largely initiated Birkenstock Holding with their top ratings, pointing to a likely boost from the German sandal maker’s loyalty with consumers, expansion into untapped categories, channels and geographies, and recent investments to increase capacity.
EXEC: Wrapping Up the Less-Than-Jolly Holiday Forecasts For Retail
Holiday forecasts arriving in recent weeks roundly forecast sales will slow this year versus pandemic stimulus-boosted gains in recent years. However, while many expect a “resilient” consumer will drive solid gains similar to pre-pandemic levels, some see inflationary and macroeconomic concerns weighing disproportionately on discretionary spending.
EXEC: BOA, Primaloft and Velocity Outdoor Drag on Parent’s Q3 Results
Brand aggregator Compass Diversified saw Q3 sales decline 25 percent at BOA, 16 percent at Primaloft and fall 28 percent at Velocity Outdoor, while revenues grew 13 percent at Marucci Sports and 7 percent at 5.11. The company reported it was selling Marucci.
EXEC: Crocs Sets Plan to Revive HeyDude’s Growth
Crocs, Inc. scraped its earnings and sales guidance for the year due to the continued underperformance of its recently-acquired HeyDude brand. On an analyst call, Andrew Rees, Crocs’ CEO, admitted HeyDude has faced “several growing pains this past year” due to a mix of internal missteps and external pressures and forecasted the brand’s wholesale revenues in North America would remain negative through Q224.