Following 13 consecutive quarters of declines, Asics returned to growth in North America in the first quarter, led by the Performance Running category’s return to positive growth. In an interview with SGB Executtive, Richard Sullivan, EVP of sales, categories and marketing, Asics North America, discusses the reason Asics returned as title sponsor of the Los Angeles Marathon and its strategies for regaining its leadership positioning in the run category.
Category: Footwear
Spain To Exit Adidas Contract
The Spanish soccer federation said it is breaking its contract with Adidas and has opened negotiations with other apparel companies. Adidas has sponsored Spain since 1991.
Asics Releases 2018 Sustainability Report
Asics Corp. released its 2018 Sustainability Report that showed the company making significant progress in reducing CO2 emissions.
ISA TanTec Opens Its First Showroom In Europe
ISA TanTec, the eco-friendly leather manufacturer, celebrated the grand opening of a new showroom set up in their Italian tannery, Scamosceria del Brenta Srl (Scabrenta), located in Bassano del Grappa on May 9.
Nike To Change Pregnancy Policy In Athlete Contracts
Nike said Friday it was adding language to future contracts that would protect female athletes’ pay during pregnancy. The change comes after the brand received backlash last week for freezing compensation for some pregnant women under endorsement deals.
MEC Leads Fifth Annual Gustavson Brand Trust Index
The Peter B. Gustavson School of Business at the University of Victoria unveiled its fifth annual Gustavson Brand Trust Index that showed Mountain Equipment Co-op (MEC) led this year’s ranking as the most trusted brand in Canada.
Nike’s Impact Report Shows Progress On Diversity
Nike Inc’s FY18 Impact Report showed Nike saw a 4 percent increase of VP-level representation of women in 2018, bringing the total to 36 percent. The report, the company’s first Impact Report, further revealed a 3 percent increase of VP-level representation of U.S. underrepresented groups, bringing the total to 19 percent.
PGA Tour Superstore To Open Four Stores In The Coming Weeks
PGA Tour Superstore announced the opening of four stores over the next two months. The locations include Austin, Boston, Denver and Sarasota.
Kathmandu Splits COO And CFO Functions
Kathmandu Holdings Limited said it is splitting the COO and CFO functions As part of a structural change aimed at enhancing its focus on international expansion while continuing to strengthen its Australasian operation.
NSGA’s Sporting Goods Market Report Shows Slight Industry Gains In 2018
Consumer retail purchases of sporting goods equipment, athletic footwear and athletic apparel increased to $69.9 billion for the categories tracked by the National Sporting Goods Association (NSGA) in 2018, an increase of 1 percent versus 2017.
Cause Marketing Platforms Not Breaking Through With Gen Z
Several brands in the active lifestyle space, including Patagonia, Nike and Toms, are being recognized for their purpose-driven ethos and related cause-marketing efforts according to an extensive study from DoSomething.org. But the study still found it’s not easy to break through and create belief among consumers.
Slower Tax Refunds And Weather Affect April Retail Sales
Retail sales were down 0.2 percent in April seasonally adjusted from March but up 5.2 percent unadjusted year-over-year, the National Retail Federation said.
Snipes Acquires KicksUSA
European lifestyle retailer Snipes has acquired KicksUSA and will transition its brand, signage and operations to 62 existing KicksUSA stores along the East Coast.
Macy’s Q1 Tops Wall Street’s Targets
Macy’s,Inc. reported earnings declined in the first quarter but easily topped Wall Street’s consensus estimates. Same-store sales inched up 0.6 percent. The department store giant confirmed its guidance for the year.
Yue Yuen’s Q1 Profits Dip
Yue Yuen reported revenues grew 8.4 percent in the first quarter but earnings slumped 20.9 percent.
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