Under Armour Announces Phased Store Reopenings In North America

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.