Under Armour announced details for the phased reopening of its owned stores in North America. The company reopened its first U.S. stores to customers on May 15, and opened additional stores last week. By this Friday, Under Armour will have welcomed customers back to nearly 50 percent of its North America stores.
Category: Footwear

Retailers Said Pandemic Risk Insurance Act Would Provide ‘Greater Reliance’ In Future Outbreaks
The National Retail Federation (NRF) welcomed the introduction of the Pandemic Risk Insurance Act, which would establish a federal program to help businesses obtain insurance coverage for pandemics modeled on a system for terrorism insurance established following 9/11.

National Women’s Soccer League Announces Return To Play
The National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) will return on June 27 with a 25-game tournament, becoming the first United States sports league to return to play.

Hibbett Sports To Open Second Location In Winston-Salem
Hibbett Sports announced a new location will soon be opening in Winston-Salem, its 56th store in North Carolina.

Big 5 Posts Q1 Loss, Sees May Sales Recovering
Big 5 Sporting Goods Corp. reported a loss in the first quarter ended March 30 that came in line with projections provided in late February and said April’s comps tumbled 39 percent due to store closures tied to the pandemic. However, May’s sales and merchandising margins are seeing an uptick as stores reopen.

Nike Announces Retirement Of John Thompson From Board
Nike Inc. announced that John Thompson, Jr., a director of the company since 1991 and legendary coach of the Georgetown University men’s basketball team, has decided to retire.

Golf Retailing Recovering
As the percentage of golf retail stores open to foot traffic continues to increase, a growing number of golfers indicate their concern for visiting physical store locations is subsiding, according to the National Golf Foundation’s latest industry-wide surveys.

Adidas Partners With Yavapai College
Yavapai College in Prescott, AZ announced that Adidas will be its official uniform apparel and footwear supplier starting on July 1, 2020.

Shawnee State Partners With BSN, Nike
Shawnee State University in Portsmouth, OH entered into a multi-year partnership with Nike through BSN Sports to continue to make Nike the official apparel of SSU Athletics.

Afterpay Offers COVID-19 Support To Retail Community
Afterpay is teaming up with A Common Thread, an initiative led by Vogue and the CFDA, which raises funds and awareness for the American fashion community and Baby2Baby, which provides children living in poverty with diapers, clothing and all the basic necessities.

ISPO To Launch Digital Live Conference
ISPO has developed a digital live conference, ISPO Re.Start Days, for the sports and outdoor industry. The event, to be held between June 30 and July 1, will offer orientation for the “new normality” during and after COVID-19.

Descente’s Revenues Sink In Fiscal Year
Descente Ltd. reported sales dropped 12.6 percent in its fiscal year ended March 31, to Japanese ¥124.6 billion ($11.6 bn).

OBIT: Dick Lipsey
Richard “Dick” Lipsey, founder, president, and CEO of SBRnet with a long career in supporting research for the sporting goods industry, passed away on May 15, 2020 at the age of 89. Lipsey underwent bypass surgery for a heart attack and was set to return home when he contracted COVID-19.

Consumer Confidence Ticks Up In May
The Conference Board Consumer Confidence Index held steady in May, following a sharp decline in April. The Index now stands at 86.6 (1985=100), up from 85.7 in April.

360 Adventure Collective Cancels Summer Expos In Mid-Atlantic And New England Regions
360 Adventure Collective has decided to cancel the 2020 New England and Mid-Atlantic regional trade shows due to safety concerns related to the spread of the novel coronavirus.