John Tighe will become its new CE) and will join the Board of Directors, effective August 5, 2025. Peter Sachse will transition from his current role as CEO to become executive chairman of the company’s Board.
Category: Footwear
Amer Sports Appoints New Head of Greater China
Jeffery Ma joins the company from his role as CEO of Zhongqiao Sports, a sporting goods company in China. He has previously held executive positions at Topsports, the largest sporting goods retailer in China, and at Adidas.
Fleet Feet Franchise Opens Third Store in Central Texas
The store located in Leander marks the third store in Central Texas operated by franchise owner Mark King. He also operates stores in Georgetown and Round Rock, TX, respectively.
EXEC: Rip Curl Inches Up, Oboz Sinks for Parent KMD’s YTD Period
Rip Curl global direct-to-consumer sales continued to grow year-over-year (YOY) through the second half of fiscal 2025 to-date, with strong comparable sales results in North American flagship stores.
Switchback Spring Posts Healthy Debut; Heads to New Orleans in 2026
Switchback Spring, the nascent outdoor show’s first standalone event, was held this week in Nashville, TN, from June 16 to 18, drawing 194 brands, 290 retailers, and 1,286 attendees. For 2026, show organizers announced that the event will be held in New Orleans.
EXEC: Nike Faces Needham Price Target Cut on Slow Recovery
Needham analysts trimmed their price target on Nike to $66 from $75 amid ongoing weakness in brand momentum and a slower-than-expected path to recovery. Needham’s Tom Nikic wrote, “NKE still faces headwinds from rationalizing over-supplied product franchises (Jordan, Dunk), brand heat still appears to be lukewarm, and they now have tariffs to contend with as well.”
Hibbett Launches Back-to-School App Tailored to Kids
Owned by parent company JD Sports, the retailer announced the launch of a new kids e-commerce site, kidshibbett.com, and an app dedicated to selling kids’ product carried by the retailer.
Denver’s Freebird Closing 14+ Stores; Shutters Headquarters
Freebird, a boot retailer based in Denver, has exited its corporate headquarters in Cherry Creek, laid off staff and is closing at least 14 of its 20 stores as it seeks a buyer. Freebird would close another four stores on Monday, June 23, failing to find a buyer.
Report: Lululemon Laying Off 150 Support Center Jobs
The job cuts come as Lululemon on June 6 reported first-quarter earnings that topped guidance but trimmed its earnings guidance for the year as proposed tariffs threaten the company’s supply chain.
Survey: Golf Getaways and Digital Engagement Key Focus for the Average U.S. Golfer
Over half of U.S. players (approximately 23 million in total) take at least one golf trip per year, with 31 percent taking two or more trips. With an average length of 3.33 days, these trips are common to either Florida and California or to overseas destinations such as Scotland, Ireland and the Iberian Peninsula.
Under Armour Prices Senior Notes
The company has priced the $400 million aggregate principal amount of its 7.250 percent senior notes due 2030. It will will use the proceeds to pay down debt due in 2026.
Survey: 84 Percent of U.S. Consumers Plan to Shop Amazon Prime Day in 2025
A consumer survey from RetailMeNot found that 84 percent of U.S. adults plan to participate in Prime Day this year, up from 81 percent in 2024. That number rises to 92 percent among those aged 45 to 60, while 88 percent of Millennials plan on shopping during the sales event.
VF Corp’s Debt Ratings Downgraded by Moody’s on Vans’ Turnaround Challenges
Moody’s downgraded V.F. Corp due to its need for significant continued operational initiatives to support the turnaround of its Vans business to profitable growth.
EXEC: OIA Study Finds Outdoor Stores Still Missing Emerging Casual Consumers
At a session this week at Switchback Spring being held in Nashville, Kelly Davis, director of research at the Outdoor Industry Association, highlighted new consumer research that shows the outdoor space remains fixated on “Core” consumers at the expense of reaching the more “Active” and “Casual” participants.
Skechers’ New Secured Notes Offering Earns BB- Rating from S&P
S&P Global Ratings assigned a ‘BB-’ issue-level rating to Skechers’ proposed $2.1 billion term loan B due in 2032 and $1.8 billion of senior secured notes due in 2032 that’s supporting its acquisition by 3G Capital.
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