President Donald Trump threatened to impose further tariffs to punish China for its handling of the pandemic.
Category: Footwear

Adidas Countersues Louisville Basketball Recruit’s Father
Adidas filed a counter-lawsuit against former five-star recruit Brian Bowen II’s father, a former grassroots consultant and a financial advisor. The suit charges the three worked with Adidas employees to funnel money to the families of high school basketball prospects while evading detection by others in the company.

DSW-Parent Provides Financial Liquidity Update
Designer Brands Inc., the parent of DSW, announced the amendment of its $400 million revolving line of credit. This amendment, coupled with support received from vendor partners and landlords, helps to fortify the company’s near-term liquidity as it addresses the continuing impacts of COVID-19 and begins to reopen stores in select geographies.

New Balance Donates To Hope For The Warriors
New Balance made a $35,000 donation to Hope For The Warriors to fund sports programming for children of military service members in honor of Armed Forces Day.

Eighty Percent Of Golf Courses Expected To Be Open By May 3
Fifty-eight percent of golf courses in the U.S. were open for play in the week ended April 26 with 80 percent expected to be open by May 3, according to the National Golf Foundation’s most recent COVID-19 survey.

L.L.Bean Secures Tax Break For Expansion
L.L.Bean will receive a nearly $10 million tax break from the city of Freeport, ME to support the $110 million expansion of its headquarters, according to the Portland Press Herald.

Modell’s Secures Suspension Of Bankruptcy Until May 31
A New Jersey bankruptcy judge extended the suspension of the bankruptcy case of Modell’s Sporting Goods under May 31 as COVID-19 continues to prevent the retailer from holding liquidation sales at physical stores.

Iconix Inks Deal To Sell Umbro China
Iconix Brand Group Inc. reported in a regulatory filing that it entered an agreement to sell Umbro China Limited to HK Qiaodan Investment Limited for $62.5 million.

Columbia Sportswear Posts Q1 Operating Loss, Sales Slide 13 Percent
Columbia Sportswear Company reported an operating loss of $2 million in the first quarter as sales fell 13 percent. Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer Tim Boyle said, “It is important to note that we entered into this crisis in a position of strength, with a fortress balance sheet and top quartile operating margin performance in our industry in 2019. As consumers look to make every dollar they spend count within this challenging economic environment, we believe the Columbia brand’s differentiated innovation and exceptional value are as important as ever.”

Golf Rounds Played Slide In March
Golf rounds played for March 2020 fell 8.5 percent nationally compared to a year ago, according to Golf Datatech. Double-digit increases in the New England, East North Central and Mid Atlantic regions were offset by a steep decline in the Pacific region and smaller declines in the South Central and South Atlantic.

Macy’s Plans To Reopen 68 Stores On Monday
Macy’s Inc plans to reopen 68 stores on Monday in states that reduced coronavirus lockdown restrictions, according to the Wall Street Journal.

NCAA Outlines Plan To Let Athletes Make Endorsement Deals
The NCAA’s Board of Governors announced that it had approved recommendations under which student-athletes could receive income for third-party endorsements, as well as social media opportunities, other business ventures and personal appearances that fall within certain guidelines.

Wolverine World Wide’s Debt Ratings Lowered
S&P Global Ratings lowered the debt ratings of Wolverine World Wide Inc. because it expects the footwear company’s revenue and profitability will be significantly impaired by lower consumer demand in the U.S. and retail store closures related to measures taken to contain the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Soccer Parents See Soccer Returning This Summer
A survey of youth soccer parents from Soccer.com, the nation’s leading soccer-specialty retailer, finds 81 percent expect youth soccer to resume in their area by August 2020. Of those, 61 percent believe youth soccer will resume in their area by July 2020.

NPD: Leisure Footwear Sales Slump 15 Percent In First Quarter
U.S. sales of leisure footwear, which includes many of the industry’s athletic-lifestyle and outdoor categories, were down 15 percent in the first quarter, according to the NPD Group. Fashion footwear tumbled 24 percent and the smaller sport-specific performance footwear category declined 19 percent.