Designer Brands, Inc. reported that second quarter results topped Wall Street estimates with sequential improvement in sales and gross margin over the 2023 first quarter and also reiterated the outlook for the year.
Category: Footwear

EXEC: Sportsman’s Warehouse Sets Aggressive Markdowns as Business Weakens Further
Shares of Sportsman’s Warehouse are running down about 17 percent in pre-market trading Thursday as the hunt & fish chain’s second-quarter earnings came in well below guidance and another double-digit comp decline was forecast for the third quarter.

Nike Tops Gen-Z’s Rankings for Most Authentic Brand
Nike was ranked the “Most Authentic” brand in the active lifestyle and fashion space among Gen Z consumers in North America and Western Europe, according to YPulse, based on its latest demographic survey.
Sportsman’s Warehouse Swings to Second Quarter Loss as Comps Fall
The 11.8 percent net sales decrease was said to be primarily due to lower demand across all product categories and a decline in store traffic resulting from the continued impact of consumer inflationary pressures on discretionary spending, partially offset by the opening of 14 new stores.

EXEC: Amer Sports Files Confidentially to Go Public
Amer Sports, the parent of Salomon, Wilson, Arc’teryx and other sports brands, filed confidentially for a U.S. initial public offering that could value the group as high as $10 billion. The offering would come as Amer Sports’ business has seen accelerated growth, driven by Arc’teryx and Salomon and growth in China.

USTA Launches Investment Fund to Support Tennis Growth
The United States Tennis Association launched USTA Ventures through the USTA Strategic Investment Committee to acquire potential equity stakes in technologies and other companies to advance the growth of tennis in the U.S.
Skechers Sues Laforst for Patent Infringement
Skechers USA, Inc. reported it sued Laforst Shoes, Inc. for alleged patent infringement of its proprietary Skechers Hands Free Slip-ins design. Skechers filed the lawsuit in The United States District Court for the Central District of California.
Nexgen Packaging Appoints VP of Sales, Americas
Nexgen Packaging, a packaging provider for the retail, apparel and footwear industries, hired Kevin DeSpain as senior vice president of sales for the Americas. He comes from Zebra Technologies.
NSGA Sporting Goods Industry Hall of Fame Committee Elects Class of 2024
NSGA Sporting Goods Industry Hall Of Fame announced the Class of 2023, which includes Glenn Barrett, OrthoLite; Cathy Pryor, Hibbett Sports; Karsten Solheim, Ping Golf; and Mike Thompson, Rawlings.

West Coast Port Workers Ratify New Contract
Members of the International Longshore and Warehouse Union, which represents dockworkers at U.S. West Coast ports, voted to ratify a new six-year contract with the Pacific Maritime Association.

Craft Sportswear N.A. Appoints National Sales Agency for Footwear
Craft said that Waypoint Outdoor’s “vast network and experienced team, combined with Craft’s current rep force will provide an immediate increase of boots on the ground to support Craft’s expanding footwear dealer base and pinnacle accounts.”

Arc’teryx Seeks To Block Adidas’ Terrex Trademark Registration
Arc’teryx seeks to block Adidas from registering the “Terrex” name in U.S. retail stores. Earlier this year, the company sued Adidas in Canada for opening a Terrex store in Vancouver.

Survey: Pickleball On the Rise in Community Associations
According to a recent Snap survey by the Community Associations Institute Foundation for Community Association Research, 77 percent of respondents said that the pickleball courts in their communities were in “Moderate” or “High” demand.

REI Co-op Hires VP of Merchandise Planning and Inventory Management
REI Co-op hired Jackie Major as vice president of merchandise planning and inventory management, leading its merchandising team, overseeing planning and inventory management strategy and sales and operations planning.

Intersport International Corp. Appoints First Chief Commercial Officer
Pierre Irelli will assume the lead of the IIC’s Commercial Division. Irelli has been chief product officer at Intersport France since 2019. He first joined Intersport in 2013 as a category manager for Team Business.