Two Bidders Seek Discount Price To Acquire Kohl’s

Private equity chain Sycamore Partners and retail conglomerate Franchise Group have submitted bids to acquire Kohl’s, sources told the Wall Street Journal. Both offers were well below amounts the company turned down earlier this year.

Amazon Consumer CEO Resigns

Amazon’s consumer CEO, Dave Clark, will leave the company next month, the e-commerce giant announced in a blog post Friday and reflected in a regulatory filing.

Outdoor Gear Builders Appoints Executive Director

Outdoor Gear Builders announced the appointment of Matt Godfrey as the organization’s executive director. OGB, based in Ashville, NC, has grown to over 75 members (retailers and vendors) in the outdoor industry in Western North Carolina.

Lululemon Hikes Outlook As Q1 Tops Guidance

Lululemon Athletica Inc. raised its earnings and sales guidance for the year after reporting first-quarter results that surpassed its expectations. Sales were up 32 percent in the first quarter with same-store sales ahead 24 percent.

Tilly’s Sees 13 Percent Q1 Comp Drop

Tilly’s Inc. reported a sharp decline in profits in the first quarter as gross margins eroded 350 basis points and same-store sales were down 13 percent. Results were in line with guidance. 

Zumiez’s Sales Slump 21 Percent In First Quarter

Zumiez, Inc. reported sales fell 21 percent in the first quarter ended April 30 against tough year-ago comparisons but arrived at the high end of guidance. Earnings came in below guidance due to labor, shipping and logistics costs as well as a shift in the timing of marketing and training investments.

Novoloop Extends Series A Round To $21M

Advanced upcycling startup Novoloop expanded its Series A to $21 million through an oversubscribed extension led by Mistletoe Singapore and Hanwha Solutions. This nearly doubles the company’s raise of $11 million announced in February.

G-III Apparel Completes Acquisition Of Karl Lagerfeld

G-III Apparel Group, Ltd. announced that it completed its previously announced acquisition of the remaining 81 percent interest in fashion brand Karl Lagerfeld for €200 million (approximately $214 million USD), subject to certain adjustments.

The Buckle’s May Comps Climb 5.3 Percent

The Buckle, Inc. announced that comparable store net sales, for stores open at least one year, for the 4-week period ended May 28, 2022 increased 5.3 percent from comparable store net sales for the 4-week period ended May 29, 2021.

Duluth Holdings Q1 Profits Boosted By Margin Gains

Duluth Holdings, Inc. reported earnings before non-recurring items more than doubled in the fiscal first quarter ended May 1 as strong improvements in gross margins offset a slight decline in sales. The parent of Duluth Trading reaffirmed its guidance for the year.

NSGA Adds New Board Members

The National Sporting Goods Association (NSGA) made two changes to its Board of Directors with the appointments of Troy M. Freeman of Winmark Corporation/Play It Again Sports and John Scipio of SV Sports. Their three-year terms took effect on June 1.