Moody’s Ratings downgraded Under Armour, Inc.’s debt ratings on its expectation that weakening consumer discretionary spending and increased tariff costs are likely to lead to lower earnings over the next 12-18 months.
Category: Sports/Fitness

Mizuno USA Strengthens Running Division With Key Hires
The company promoted Will Cutler as associate marketing manager while hiring Nico Betancourt as territory manager and Hope Nixon as running brand specialist.

Adidas Warns of U.S. Price Hikes Due to Tariffs
Adidas AG said that despite reporting better-than-expected first-quarter results, it opted not to raise its financial targets for 2025 due to rising concerns over President Donald Trump-imposed trade tariffs, including the threat that prices will have to rise for U.S. products. The company said it did not know how much it would boost prices.

Celerant Marks International Expansion with Acquisition of UK’s Saledock
Saledock has provided in-store and online retail solutions in the UK for over five years, serving a range of hard and soft goods retailers, specializing in bike, equestrian and sporting goods businesses with cloud-based point of sale, inventory, and eCommerce tools.

EXEC: William Blair Tackles Tariff Realties in Latest Management Survey
Blair said that for now, the best solution seems to be a well-diversified supply chain across multiple jurisdictions, potentially with built-in redundancies to allow for nimbleness.

TBA Worldwide Acquires Amazon Specialty Agency SaleSurf Growth
SaleSurf Growth will operate as a standalone agency within the TBA Worldwide network, with its existing team and leadership remaining.

NSGA’s and Sporting Goods Industry Veteran Tom Doyle Passes Away
Tom Doyle died on April 22 at the age of 86. He worked at the NSGA for 39 years and was the association’s vice president of Information and Research when he retired in the fall of 2010. He was also president of the National Ski & Snowboard Retailers Association (NSSRA) from the time it was founded in 1987 until 2010.

Nike, Inc. Sued Over NFT Investor Losses Incurred After Closure of RTFKT Unit
The company is now being sued by purchasers of NFTs (non-funglible tokens) that originated with Nike’s December 2021 acquisition of the RTFKT, a virtual sneaker design company and studio for NFTs.

Vuori Continues UK Expansion; Opens Third Store on King’s Road
Andy Lawrence, SVP of International at Vuori, said, “Opening this store represents a key milestone in Vuori’s expansion in the UK and across Europe, allowing us to deepen our connection with customers and the market.”

Former Nike, Puma Executive Bert Hoyt Joins dBio as Board Advisor
Hoyt began his career in 1989 at Puma, where he rose from product management to business leadership. Hoyt joined Nike in 1998 and spent 22 years with the brand as a senior executive, primarily in Europe.

WFSGI Adds New Faces to Board to Replace Outgoing Members
The new WFSGI Board has added Anne Larilahti, VP of Sustainability, Amer Sports; Mitchell Tsai, CEO, Apache Footwear; Todd Smith, President and CEO, SFIA; and Stefan Rummel, CEO, Messe Muenchen, the producer of the ISPO and Outdoor Munich Expos.

BikeCo Makes Range of Key Appointments Across Enterprise
The American distributor for bike brands Fuji Bikes, SE Bikes, Breezer Bikes, and Tuesday Cycles, announced three new hires and two promotions to support growth across operations, retail and customer experience.

Skechers Posts Solid Q1; Withdraws Prior 2025 Guide, Pauses Outlook
Due to macroeconomic uncertainty stemming from global trade policies, SKX is not providing financial guidance and is withdrawing its annual 2025 guidance provided in the company’s earnings release reported on February 6, 2025.

TruGolf to Exchange Outstanding Convertible Notes to Series A Preferred Stock
The company reported that “these actions are part of an effort to improve the capital structure and reduce the debt on its balance sheet to meet the NASDAQ’s continued listing requirements.”

Five Iron Golf to Open Locations in NYC and Cleveland
The Flat Iron site, located a few blocks from where Five Iron originally began at 19th and 5th Avenue, is at 611 6th Avenue. Five Iron in Shaker Heights, OH, will combine Five Iron’s golf simulators with an 18-hole indoor/outdoor miniature golf course and the latest version of Detroit Duckpin, a bowling experience.