L.L. Bean is closing all U.S. retail locations beginning midnight Monday, March 16 through March 29 out of precaution for the spread of the coronavirus, L.L. Bean President and CEO Steve Smith wrote in a letter to customers on Monday.
Category: Outdoor

Academy Sports Outlines Coronavirus Response To Customers
In a letter to customers, Ken Hicks, Academy Sports’ chairman, president, and CEO, announced a number of precautions the chain is taking in response to coronavirus. He wrote in part, “We are fortunate that we currently have no reported team member or customer cases and our stores and facilities remain open for business.”

Kohl’s And Lands’ End Announce Partnership
Kohl’s announced a new partnership with Lands’ End to offer the retailer’s entire assortment of women’s, men’s, kids, and home merchandise on Kohls.com, directly fulfilled and shipped by Lands’ End, beginning fall 2020. Lands’ End merchandise will also be brought to 150 stores beginning fall 2020.

Columbia Sportswear To Temporarily Close Stores
Columbia Sportswear Company said it was closing its store locations from March 16 through March 27. The company also announced a number of other steps being taken in response to coronavirus.

VF Corp. To Shutter Stores Through April 5
In response to the global COVID-19 coronavirus outbreak, VF Corporation announced the temporary closure of all owned retail stores across North America, effective March 16 through April 5.

REI Retail Stores Closing Until March 27
REI Co-op is closing its retail stores from Monday, March 16, through Friday, March 27, to “help protect the health and safety of our employees and customers” from the coronavirus, CEO Eric Artz said in a statement.

Winter Occupancy Up At Western Mountain Destinations
Timely snow at many western mountain destinations helped nudge aggregated occupancy figures into positive territory after several months of decline while rate and revenues remained steady, according to DestiMetrics.

Clarus Appoints EVP Of Operations And Talent
Clarus Corp. announced the appointment of Kelly Davis as executive vice president of operations and talent, effective March 26, 2020.

Coronavirus Has Disrupted Supply Chains For Nearly 75 Percent Of U.S. Companies
According to a survey from the Institute for Supply Management (ISM), nearly 75 percent of companies report supply chain disruptions in some capacity due to coronavirus-related transportation restrictions, and more than 80 percent believe that their organization will experience some impact because of COVID-19 disruptions.

Canadian Tire Appoints New CEO
Canadian Tire Corporation Ltd., the parent of SportChek and Helly Hansen, appointed Greg Hicks as president and chief executive officer of Canadian Tire Corporation.

Clarus To Acquire Protective Case Maker S.K.B. Corp.
Clarus Corp., the parent of Black Diamond, announced it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire privately-held S.K.B. Corporation (SKB), a leading manufacturer of protective cases, for $85 million in cash and 1.15 million shares of Clarus common stock.

2020 Bicycle Leadership Conference Rescheduled To September
The 2020 Bicycle Leadership Conference (BLC), originally slated for April 14 to 16, has been rescheduled for September 29 to October 1 in Monterey, CA. The BLC is a PeopleForBikes event that has been produced in partnership with the Sea Otter Classic (SOC) for the last 11 years.

Safoli Group’s 2019 Growth Boosted By Smith Optics
Safoli Group S.P.A., the parent of the Smith Optics brand, reported sales in 2019 grew 3.1 percent on a reported basis and gained 0.9 percent at constant exchange rates.

Bogs Sales Dip In Fourth Quarter
Weyco Group Inc. reported wholesale sales of the Bogs brand in North America were down 5 percent for the fourth quarter due to lower sales in Canada as a result of the mild start to the winter. For the year, Bogs sales were up 17 percent.

Vail Resorts Withdrew 2020 Guidance On Coronavirus Concerns
Vail Resorts Inc. reported flat earnings in the second quarter ended January 31 and said it was withdrawing its guidance for fiscal 2020 due to the uncertain impact of coronavirus for the rest of the year.