Last week, Nike got a downgrade on its shares from Citibank, and now On Holding is downgraded, which is a tough move for one of the hottest footwear brands in the active lifestyle market to get negative attention.
Category: Footwear

Bluestar Alliance Acquires Palm Angels to Expand Streetwear Stable
The acquisition follows the company’s September 2024 acquisition of Off-White from LVMH, and is said to underscore the company’s continued expansion into the high-end streetwear and luxury fashion sectors.

Wolverine World Wide Promotes Brett Parent to Chief Strategy Officer
The parent company of the Merrell, Saucony, Wolverine Brand and Sweaty Betty brands promoted Brett Parent to CSO, effective February 3. He will now serve on the company’s Executive Team.

EXEC: Fenix Outdoor Sees Credit Issues and Weather Impact Q4
The parent of Fjällräven, Royal Robbins, Hanwag, and Fenix Outdoor brands reported that the 2024 fourth quarter started promising, but a delay in winter weather meant it slowed down before improving again toward the latter part of the quarter.

Oofos Hires Director of Specialty Sales
The company said Matt Withrow will create, plan and execute sales strategies for the specialty distribution channel including Run, Outdoor, and Other sport-specific specialty distribution.

EXEC: JD Sports Fashion Plc Shifts Leadership at JD Outdoor Segment
Dominic Jordan, the former CEO of Hobbycraft, assumes the top seat held by outgoing CEO Lee Bagnall for the past 12 years. Bagnall has agreed to stay on for a transition period.

Merrell Names Richard McLeod as Chief Marketing Officer
McLeod was, most recently VP and CMO at Champion. Prior to Champion, McLeod was SVP of Brand at Canada Goose.

Bass Pro Shops to Open Outpost in Arkansas
The Fort Smith, AK, store is expected to open in early 2026. The 70,000-square-foot location will be the retailer’s third in the state.

EXEC: Asian FW Factories See Weaker January Trends; Pou Sheng Retail Jumps
Feng Tay Enterprises, one of the longest-tenured manufacturers of Nike footwear, reported manufacturing revenues declined 6.2 percent in January and Yue Yuen’s factory business grew an anemic 1.1 percent increase in December.

Dick’s SG Begins Enrolling Non-Employees as Paid Social Media Influencers
Since launching as an internal program in 2023, Dick’s Varsity Team members have created over 1,000 pieces of social media content, garnering over 38 million impressions, and have been featured in 10 campaigns for both Dick’s and its national brands.

Nordstrom to Open Rack Store in Longmont, CO
The Rack store will occupy a 28,000-square-foot space in the Harvest Junction Shopping Center, which includes Marshall’s, Best Buy, Dick’s Sporting Goods, Ulta Beauty, Ross Dress for Less, and other notable retailers. Harvest Junction is owned and managed by an affiliate of Pine Tree.

Report: Import Cargo Trends Remain Fluid Due to Tariff Threats
A strong December brought 2024 to a total of 25.5 million TEU, or Twenty-Foot Equivalent Units, up 14.8 percent from 2023 and the highest level since 2021’s record of 25.8 million TEU during the pandemic.

CNBC/NRF Retail Monitor Sees January Reporting Strong Retail Sales Gains
The Sporting Goods, Hobby, Music, and Bookstores segment was down 1.9 percent m/m, seasonally-adjusted, but up 2.82 percent y/y, unadjusted, after a very strong December trend.

Macy’s, Inc. Names Chief Stores Officer of Macy’s
Currently, Barbie Cameron is the senior vice president and regional director of stores for the East Region. Before that, she was the interim chief stores officer at Macy’s since August 2024.

EXEC: Citi Downgrades Nike Shares, Cuts Price Target After Hill Meeting
Nike management indicated that Air Jordan and Air Force One will “still be large franchises” even after inventories are managed lower, but Dunks will “not be a relevant part” of the mix over time.