SGB Executive Apparel

EXEC: Titleist Golf Ball Sales Increase Double Digits in 2023; Clubs Up in High Singles
Titleist golf balls posted healthy sales gains for the year, led by the successful Pro V1 and Pro V1x launch and continued strengthening of the golf ball supply chain, while Titleist golf clubs growth was said to be driven by new T-Series irons and expanded club fitting capabilities.

EXEC: Big 5 CEO Talks Efforts to Offset One-Two Punch from Weather and Economy
The Apparel category was down approximately 30 percent year-over-year in the fourth quarter. The Footwear category was down approximately 17 percent and the Hardgoods category was down approximately 11 percent for the period.

EXEC: Puma SE Posts Flattish Bottom Line in Q4 on Sales Decline to End the Year
Sales growth for 2024 is estimated in the mid-single-digit percentage rate in constant-currency terms and EBIT is seen in a range between €620 million and €700 million.

Sports Direct Parent Frasers Group Adds to Board of Directors
The parent of Sports Direct, Slazenger, Donnay, LA Gear, No Fear, and Antigua, is appointing new directors to its Board, including Helen Wright, Global CEO of Sergio Rossi, Sir Jon Thompson, former chief executive of the Financial Reporting Council, and two current company executives, Ger Wright and Ger Wright.

EXEC: Gymshark Sees All Regions Grow in Fiscal 2023 But U.S. Growth Slows
The U.S. region, which boasts the largest regional sales volume, grew 9.7 percent year-over-year to £250.4 million. U.K. sales increased 25.6 percent to £111.7 million and Europe revenues increased 16.1 percent year-over-year.

EXEC: S&P Issues Damning Report on the Health of TNF and Vans Parent
S&P Credit Rating analysts lowered their forecast for VF and now believe the company will have to sell “sizeable brands” to meaningfully reduce leverage in the near term.

EXEC: Saucony to See Big Decline in 2024 Before Recovery
The fourth quarter was tough for Saucony as sales fell 13.4 percent (-13.7 constant-currency) to $105.1 million, from $121.3 million in the prior-year corresponding quarter.

EXEC: Globe Int’l Swings to H1 Profit on Margin Gains, Cost Cuts
The work put in at Globe over the last year looks like a microcosm of the work ahead for much larger active lifestyle entities like VF Corporation and Wolverine Worldwide. Globe is proving it works.

EXEC: Inside the Wolverine Worldwide C-Suite – Assessing the Year Ahead
Fiscal 2024 revenue is expected in the range of $1.7 billion to $1.75 billion, roughly a 5.5 percent decline at the mid-point versus the 2023 revenues. Gross margins are expected to reach 45.5 percent of sales, a record high, and EPS is forecast to improve 5X at the mid-point.

EXEC: Rip Curl, Oboz Down Sharply in Fiscal H1 Against Tough Comps
KMD Brands Limited, the parent company of Kathmandu, Oboz and Rip Curl, reported a preliminary update of its results for the 2024 fiscal first half ended January 31.

EXEC: Nike Inc. Set to Cut Approximately 1,600 Jobs in Restructuring Effort
As part of the company’s broad restructuring program, which it first announced in December, Nike will cut about 2 percent of its workforce to lower expenses as demand for the brand comes under pressure.

EXEC: Sebago, Superga, Briko Parent Sees Sharp Global Declines Cut Into Royalties
BasicNet S.p.A., the parent of the Sebago, Superga, Briko, Kappa, K-Way, Jesus Jeans, and Sabelt brands, reported aggregate sales of Group brands products declined 10.4 percent to €1.14 billion. The Americas region fell 35 percent.

EXEC: Fenix Outdoor Swings to Q4 Loss as Sales Shrink, Costs Increase
The company’s Brands segment, which includes Fjällräven, Royal Robbins, Hanwag, and Fenix Outdoor, had sales of €47.3 million in the fourth quarter, falling 14.8 percent from €55.4 million in the prior-year fourth quarter.

EXEC: Yeti Hires Layne Rigney to Oversee Softgoods and Mystery Ranch
An industry veteran, most recently, Rigney was a board member at Sea to Summit and Marucci Sports but shifted his focus to the Yeti role in January 2023.

EXEC: Champion’s Q4 Sales Fall 30 Percent in U.S.; Restructuring Hits Profits
Global Champion brand sales decreased 23 percent year-over-year on a reported basis, and 24 percent on a constant-currency basis in the fourth quarter.