Laurie Aronson, president and CEO of Baton Rouge, LA-based wholesale firearms distributor Lipsey’s LLC, on January 1 became the first female board chair of the National Association of Sporting Goods Wholesalers (NASGW). She spoke with SGB about what that honor means and her goals for the trade association during the next two years.
Cowen on Tuesday raised its rating on Nike to “Outperform” in part because the brand’s strong innovation pipeline and quick-turnaround capabilities are expected to drive margins higher. Goldman Sachs lifted its rating on Under Armour to “Buy” due also to signs of margin improvement near-term along with healthier growth in the long term.
A stack of retail surveys and studies arrived just in time for last week’s NRF Big Show in New York City. Research included the arrival of the “Emerging Male ‘Power Shopper” as well as retail developments with artificial intelligence, mobile apps, smart speakers, fulfillment technologies, personalization, card-not-present fraud and more.
With another blockbuster performance for Vans and an acceleration of growth at The North Face, VF Corp scored its best quarter in two years in its third quarter ended December 31 and again raised its full-year guidance. Shares of VF rose $9.08, or 12.4 percent, to $82.34 Friday on the New York Stock Exchange.
Top headlines from the active lifestyle industry you may have missed this week, including Foot Locker making a strategic investment in Pensole Footwear Design Academy.
