“The Intrigue redefines what it means to play fast, and it will undoubtedly give women tennis players the bold advantage they need to dominate on-court.” —Gordon Devin, President, Wilson Sportswear
Category: Sports/Fitness

REI to Relocate Eugene Store to Oakway Center
The Oakway Center space will be one level and nearly 10,000 square feet larger than the current store with larger product assortments, improved dressing rooms and ample warehouse space. The 41 employees that work at the store can relocate to the new location.

Pickleball Kingdom Partners with Donald Driver for Club Expansion in Wisconsin and Minnesota
Working alongside Greg Straub and Doug Reigle of Pickleball Sports LLC, Driver will launch a flagship club in Menomonee Falls, WI, opening in early March of 2025, with additional clubs planned for Green Bay and Madison.

EXEC: VF Corp. Sees Global Strength From TNF and Timberland; Vans Improves
The parent of the Vans, The North Face, Timberland, Smartwool, Jansport and Dickies active lifestyle and street lifestyle brands, reported Wednesday that it beat third-quarter revenue and profit estimates.

Report: Affordability Plays Key Role in Global Physical Inactivity
HFA’s latest report, Reversing the Physical Inactivity Crisis – Fitness Affordability as Strategic Policy, covering ten international markets, highlights the important role that affordability plays in global physical inactivity.

U.S. Soccer Federation Partners with Home Depot to Support National Soccer Teams
The new partnership includes extensive programming for all 27 U.S. Soccer National Teams while supporting the Arthur M. Blank U.S. Soccer National Training Center, made possible by a $50 million contribution in 2024 from iconic businessman and philanthropist Arthur M. Blank, The Home Depot co-founder and Atlanta United owner.

Golf VX Enters Franchising Market with First North American Venue
The 12,000-square-foot flagship franchise in Arlington Heights, IL, features 12 golf simulator bays, each with the technology of Golf VX’s T2 simulator with modes for any mix of play, practice and competition.

Brookfield-Backed Trimco Group Acquires Nexgen Packaging
Nexgen Packaging’s management team will continue to manage the business under its current CEO, Jim Welch. The acquisition will allow both companies to integrate their global sales and manufacturing networks.
BJ’s Wholesale Club Adding Ohio Ambient Distribution Center
The new 500,000-square-foot facility, expected to open in early 2027, will join eight BJ’s clubs in the state.

Orangetheory Fitness to Introduce FDA-Approved Air Purification Tech to Studios
The agreement will introduce to certain Orangetheory Fitness studios nationwide Molekule’s FDA-approved, proprietary air purification technology designed to enhance indoor air quality.

Circana Sees Consumers Shift Back to Value and Need in January
During the combined weeks ending January 11 and January 18, discretionary spending was down flat compared to the prior year, the company reported, with major environmental events impacting the country.

Crunch Franchisee to Break Ground on New Location in Grand Prairie, Texas
CR Fitness Holdings, LLC announced plans to break ground on a new 34,254-square-foot fitness facility, projected to open in late Fall 2025, in Grand Prairie, TX.

Bain & Co. Releases 2025 Retail Forecast, Outlines Key Initiatives for Retailers
Bain suggests in its report that retailers face a pivotal moment in 2025. The firm said that for retailers to thrive in 2025 it will require fresh strategies around emerging technologies, customer loyalty, operations, and adaptation.

Pickleball Kingdom Coming to Lexington, KY in Summer 2025
The 42,300-square-foot facility in central Kentucky will have 17 professional-grade indoor courts led by the experienced franchise group Pickleball X Equity, which is led by Dhaval and Sanjay Patel.

ColdVentures Taps Medco for ColdVest Distribution in U.S. Sports Med Market
ColdVentures, a medical device company focused on manufacturing portable emergency cooling devices to help people during heat-related emergencies, has inked a distribution agreement with Medco Sports Medicine, to bring its ColdVest to the U.S. sports medicine market.