Aku, the Italian footwear specializing in hand-crafted hiking and trekking boots, said the company experienced 16 percent growth in the past year in Canada and the U.S.
Category: Footwear
Aisle Talk Week of October 1
Top headlines from the active lifestyle industry you may have missed this week, including BSN Sports, a division of Varsity Brands and the nation’s largest direct marketer and distributor of sporting goods to the school and league markets, completing its acquisition of Port Jeff Sporting Goods (pictured).
Brian Bowen Sr. Details Bribes From Multiple College Teams
On the fourth day of the college basketball corruption trial, the father of an elite basketball recruit testified that before his son committed to Louisville, a family friend told him four other schools, Arizona, Creighton, Oklahoma State and Texas, offered competing bids. Brian Bowen Sr. also discussed details of pay-to-play payments from youth basketball teams.
New Balance Foundation Grants $30,000 To Travis Mills Veterans Retreat
New Balance Foundation, the charitable arm of New Balance Athletics, granted $30,000 to the Travis Mills Foundation to cover the operating costs for September 19-23 at the Travis Mills Retreat, a fully accessible facility for combat-injured veterans and their families.
Report: Puma Signs DeMarcus Cousins
Puma has signed DeMarcus Cousins of the Golden State Warriors as the company’s latest ambassador to support the company’s return to basketball, according to ESPN.
Nike ‘Deeply Concerned’ By Ronaldo Rape Allegations
Nike said Thursday the company was “deeply concerned” by rape allegations surrounding Cristiano Ronaldo.
VF Corp. To Say Bye To Reef
While acquiring Icebreaker and Altra this year amid stepped-up efforts to “reshape” the company’s portfolio, VF Corp. on Thursday reached an agreement to sell Reef, the surf-inspired sandal brand, to The Rockport Group. The divestiture will mark the first sell-off of a brand that had been part of the company’s Outdoor or Active coalitions that has driven the company’s growth for the last two decades.
ICSC Predicts Robust Holiday Retail Spending
ICSC forecasts that shoppers will spend $807 billion, an increase of 4.5 percent over last year, with $685 billion being spent on gifts and other holiday items and $122 billion on food and beverage.
NRF Forecasts Holiday Sales Will Expand Between 4.3 Percent And 4.8 Percent
The National Retail Federation announced that the federation expects holiday retail sales in November and December to increase between 4.3 and 4.8 percent over 2017. The forecast compares with an average annual increase of 3.9 percent over the past five years.
Darn Tough Vermont Announces VP Of Product Design And Development
Darn Tough Vermont, an American manufacturer of outdoor and lifestyle socks, has announced the promotion of Lyn Feinson to VP of product design and development.
VF Corp. To Sell Reef To The Rockport Group
VF Corp. announced that the company has entered into a definitive agreement to sell the Reef brand to The Rockport Group. Reef will operate as an independent global brand under The Rockport Group, and will maintain its Carlsbad, CA, headquarters.
Adidas Signs 2017-18 NHL All-Star MVP Brock Boeser
Adidas announced a multiyear partnership with 2017-18 NHL All-Star Game Tournament MVP and 2017-18 Calder Trophy (Rookie of the Year) finalist Brock Boeser of the Vancouver Canucks.
OBIT: Nike’s Sandy Bodecker
Sandy Bodecker, a long-time Nike employee credited with bringing the Nike SB label to prominence and recently leading the Breaking project, has passed away.
L.L.Bean Pledges $1 Million For Parks
L.L.Bean announced the company’s partnership with The Trust for Public Land with a $1 million investment to help connect more people to nature.
College Basketball Scandal Spreads
In opening statements in the first trial tied to the FBI’s investigation into corruption throughout college basketball, a lawyer representing James Gatto, Adidas’ former director of global sports marketing, asserted that her client’s payments to the families of top high school basketball recruits were only made to compete with similar payments being made by Nike and Under Armour.
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