Authentic Brands Group has established a new partnership with Gardiner Bros for the Sperry brand across the UK and Ireland. Gardiners is reportedly one of the UK’s leading distributors of global footwear and apparel brands and will serve as the official distributor for the footwear brand, catering to both men and women.
Category: Footwear

Authentic Brands Group Appoints Global Head, Marketplaces
Tim Derner, formerly of Amazon, was appointed global head of Marketplaces, effective June 2. Derner worked at Amazon for over a decade, most recently as director of Amazon Fashion and Luxury Stores.

Chaco Honors Bob Marley with Limited Edition Z/1 Sandal Collection
The one love-Inspired Z/1 collaboration with Bob Marley’s family, takes its inspiration from the Jamaican singer, guitarist, songwriter, and pioneer of reggae. The collection also includes a matching dog collar and leash.

May Retail Sales Grow 3.0 Percent Year-Over-Year; SG Sector Grows 1.8 Percent
Total sales for the March 2025 through May 2025 period were up 4.5 percent (±0.4 percent) y/y. The March 2025 to April 2025 percent change was revised from up 0.1 percent (±0.5 percent) to down 0.1 percent (±0.2 percent).

Dôen Secures Equity Investment
The company currently operates seven brick-and-mortar stores, including recent openings in Marin, CA and Nantucket, MA. Retail sales, in aggregate, are reported to have “grown 80 percent year-over-year, while comp store sales are up 46 percent, with 65 percent growth at its Bleecker Street store in New York City.”

Study Highlights Opportunities for Brands Supporting Women’s Sports
A new study by women’s sports agency Parity finds that 68 percent of U.S. sports fans trust that female athletes believe in the products they are promoting. Of the respondents, 43 percent of female sports fans and 67 percent of those who frequently watch female sports said that a brand’s partnership with a female athlete makes them more likely to make a purchase.

Decathlon Opens First Running-Dedicated Store in France
Decathlon Running, approximately 1,700 square feet, sells Decathlon’s private-label brands, including Kiprun and Kalenji, as well as Hoka, Brooks, Asics, Saucony, Mizuno, and Salomon, in Bordeaux, France.

Amazon Extends Prime Day to Four Days
Amazon’s annual Prime Day sales event is scheduled for July 8-11, expanding to four days from two days compared to last year. The first Prime Day event began in 2015 with the goal of increasing Prime membership.

NABE Survey: Economy To Slow as Inflation Expected To Persist
The June 2025 NABE Outlook presents the consensus macroeconomic forecast of a panel of 42 professional forecasters. The survey, covering the outlook for the remainder of 2025/26, was conducted from May 27 to June 2.

Pure Hockey Continues Retail Expansion in Washington with New Seattle Store
The Seattle store, located at 401 NE Northgate Way, will host a grand opening on Saturday, July 12, 2025. The store is Pure Hockey’s third in the state, in addition to Tukwila and Lynnwood, WA.

EXEC: Bata Group Names Former Ecco CEO to Succeed Outgoing CEO Sandeep Kataria
Bata Group, the Swiss-based multinational footwear manufacturer and retailer, has appointed Panos Mytaros, formerly the CEO of Ecco, as its global CEO, effective September 15, 2025. He will succeed current CEO Sandeep Kataria as part of its succession plan.

Adidas Names New Managing Director of Adidas Korea
Marcus Morent began his career at Adidas in 2005 in the retail finance institutional sector for the EMEA (Europe, Middle East, Africa) region. He later led the retail and e-commerce businesses at Adidas Korea from 2014 to 2019, serving as VP of Latin America, DTC, and, most recently, as CEO of Adidas Colombia.

Lowa Boots Names Trail Run Global Manager
Reinforcing Lowa’s broader commitment to the international growing trail segment, Samuel Grill was appointed as global category manager based at company headquarters in Jetzendorf, Germany.

Report: JPMorgan Raises $6.5 Billion to Fund Sale of Skechers
JP Morgan Chase & Co. plans to launch a $6.5 billion debt offering to support private equity firm 3G Capital’s acquisition of Skechers as soon as this week, sources told Bloomberg.

OrthoLite Subsidiary Cirql Expands European Presence Through Frasson Partnership
Under the agreement, Frasson is now Cirql’s certified official partner in the EU for the development and production of technical shoe components. Frasson will serve as a key supplier and approved EU development partner, manufacturer and OEM for Cirql, a subsidiary of OrthoLite, sub midsoles and outsoles.