Outdoor Industry Leaders Issue Call-To-Action On Participation

Likening outdoor participation to a “leaky bucket,” the Outdoor Foundation Board Chair Sally McCoy, said at the OIA Industry Breakfast that the industry has been able to “get some people in but we’re losing more out the bottom.” Moreover, she said Outdoor Foundation research confirms “we’re late in the game” as far as reversing trends.

SGB Exec Q&A: Locally’s Founder And President Mike Massey

In an interview with SGB, Mike Massey, Locally’s founder who is also the owner of Massey’s Outfitters in New Orleans, discussed the rapid expansion and evolution of Locally since its launch in 2014, as well as the fast-changing dynamics of online and offline retailing.

Active-Lifestyle Stocks Bounce Back In First Half 

With the nine-year bull market facing some choppiness this year due to a number of macro challenges, many stocks in the athletic-lifestyle space stood out for their outsized performances. Big gainers included Canada Goose, Under Armour, Lululemon, Deckers Outdoor and Crox.

Nike’s Shares Pop On U.S. Recovery

Shares of Nike Inc. shot up $8.00, or 11.2 percent, to $79.70 to surpass an all-time high as the sports leader saw growth for the first time in four quarters in the U.S. The gains were boosted by the success of several break-through product launches and the payback of investments in direct-to-consumer and digital engagement.

Does The Online Tax Ruling Even The Playing Field?

Many brick-and-mortar retailers hailed the Supreme Court’s ruling late last week that finally gave states the authority to require online retailers to collect sales tax. But interviews with a number of independent specialty retailers show many in the industry still face uphill battles competing with online selling.

Four Questions: Smartwool’s Jennifer McLaren

On June 26, VF Corp. announced that Jennifer McLaren would succeed Travis Campbell as president of Smartwool. Here, she talks about Smartwool’s strengths, near-term priorities in her new role, and becoming the first female to be promoted to president in the VF Outdoor and Action Sports Coalition.

Eric Sprunk Discusses Nike’s Sustainability Journey

Speaking recently at the Copenhagen Fashion Summit, Nike Inc.’s COO Eric Sprunk said Nike now knows “sustainability drives innovation and improves the performance of everything we make.” But he spent a large chunk of his keynote session discussing the brand’s shortfalls in the past and its long “journey” to embracing that mindset.

Top Honors Awarded In New England

Based on a voting process that included all the New England winter sales reps, Rich Brachold, owner of Village Ski & Snowboard Shop in Franklin, Massachusetts, earned EORA/NESR’s Winter Retailer of the Year award.