NRF Supports NAFTA

National Retail Federation President and CEO Matthew Shay said in an op-ed published on The Hill that the United States should work to modernize the North American Free Trade Agreement but should not withdraw from the agreement.

Fanatics Forms Fanatics College Division

Fanatics has acquired the collegiate licensing services practice of Atlanta-based Fermata Partners from CAA Sports, while forming Fanatics College, a new division of the company specifically servicing collegiate partners across the country.

Hibbett Sports Launches Social Media Sneaker Contest

Hibbett Sports announced a new social media contest in honor of National Sneaker Day on November 5. The month-long promotion will kick off on October 16, 2017 and one weekly giveaway recipient will be selected each Friday until November 17, 2017.

Nordstrom Suspends Efforts To Go Private This Year

Nordstrom Inc. announced that members of the Nordstrom family have notified the Special Committee of the Board of Directors of Nordstrom that they have suspended active exploration, for the balance of the year, of the possibility of proposing a transaction to take the company private.

Amazon Working On Athleisure Line

Amazon has partnered with two well-known Taiwanese sportswear manufacturers – Eclat Textile Company and Makalot Industrial Co. – to develop its own line of athletic apparel, according to a report from Bloomberg.

Nike Runs Rare Flash Sale

Nike last week ran a 48-hour Nike Flash Sale offering discounts as much as 40 percent on more than 200 items on its website.

IHRSA: Boutiques Continue To Lead Health Club Gains

Membership in U.S. health clubs reached an all-time high in 2016, thanks to 15 percent growth at boutique studios, according to the 2017 IHRSA Health Club Consumer Report. Studio members tend to a decade younger than the overall average for all facilities and are more ethnically-diverse.

TSC Apparel Sold

Brown Gibbons Lang & Company announced the sale of TSC Apparel LLC, the distributor of imprintable activewear and accessories, to an affiliate of CenterGate Capital.

Surfdome To Become Ecommerce Provider For Magicseaweed

Leading surf forecast and content network, Magicseaweed, has entered into an exclusive license agreement with Surfdome, the board sports specialist and Europe’s largest online surf retailer, to power and operate the Magicseaweed store on a global basis.