Mastercard: Holiday Sales Improve 2.3 Percent

Holiday sales between Nov. 1 and Dec. 24 rose 2.3 percent from the same period the year before, according to preliminary data from MasterCard Inc 's Spending Pulse unit. That marks improvement versus the 0.7 percent gain a year earlier…

Amazon Racks Up Record Holiday

Amazon announced the entire 2013 holiday season was the best ever for Amazon, with more than 36.8 million items ordered worldwide on Cyber Monday. In the Sports & Outdoors category, the top three Holiday Best Sellers were: LifeStraw Personal Water Filter;

Brick-and-Mortar Traffic Off Sharply Week Before Christmas

Last week was the last chance for procrastinators to finish last-minute holiday shopping, but the weather prevented many from getting to the stores, according to ShopperTrak. The company estimated shopper traffic at bricks-and-mortar stores decreased by 2

Nike Inc. Sees Brighter Futures Ahead…

Nike Inc. reported an impressive 9 percent gain in revenues on a currency-neutral basis in the fiscal second quarter ended Nov. 30, with a 9 percent gain for Nike Brand and 11 percent for Converse. Even more encouraging, future orders were up 13 percent a

Billabong’s New CEO Unveils Turnaround Plan

Billabong’s new CEO Neil Fiske last week outlined a seven-point turnaround plan, which includes rebuilding the company’s global brands, sorting emerging brands, and fine-tuning merchandising strategies with fewer better styles…

Adidas Group Invests in Natural Fibers Company

Adidas Group's in-house venture capital fund agreed Dec. 19 to invest CN$2.0 million in CRAiLAR Technologies Inc., a Canadian company that makes natural fibers from flax, hemp and other plants that can be used to make a garment that is as soft and du

Club Ride Apparel Raises Capital to Fuel Expansion

Club Ride Apparel, one of the leaders in the casual-technical cycling apparel segment, secured $1 million in additional capital from Royal Street Investment & Innovation Center to support the company’s continued expansion…

RG Barry Explores Possible Sale

R.G. Barry Corporation entered into a non-disclosure and standstill agreement with Mill Road Capital Management LLC in regards to the PE firm's potential bid to acquire the company…