SGB Executive Apparel

EXEC: Woolrich CEO Named President of Peak Performance
Stefano Saccone has been appointed president of Peak Performance and a member of the Amer Sports Global leadership team, effective April 1, 2025. He will succeed Sara Molnar, the current president. Saccone will be based in Stockholm, Sweden.

EXEC: Liberated Brands Gets Bankruptcy Court Approval to Access DIP Funds
The former licensing company set up to manage Authentic Brands Group’s collection of action sports lifestyle brands filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection on Sunday with $3.3 million in cash on hand and $226 million in debt, according to court filings.

EXEC: Columbia Sportswear Shares Fall on Q4 EPS Miss and Tepid Q1 Forecast
Net sales increased 3 percent to $1.10 billion in the fourth quarter. First quarter net sales are expected to range between $749 million and $764 million, representing a decline of 3 percent to 1 percent from $770 million for the comparable Q1 period in 2024.

EXEC: JD Group Appoints Jared Briskin as CEO of Hibbett
Hibbett was acquired by global active lifestyle retail behemoth JD Group in July 2024. Briskin, who had been serving as EVP of Merchandising at the time of the sale, was promoted to COO after the sale closed and added the President title shortly thereafter.

EXEC: Smith Optics Returned to Growth in Q4, Boosted by DTC Business
Safilo Group S.p.A., the owner of Smith Optics and Blenders and licensee of the Under Armour, Fossil, Havaianas, Tommy Hilfiger, Levi’s, and Liz Claiborne brands for eyewear, saw preliminary sales for 2024 decline 2.3 percent to €993.2 million.

EXEC: Liberated Brands Files for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy Protection
Liberated Brands LLC, the former licensing arm for Authentic Brands Group’s collection of action sports lifestyle brands, has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware.

EXEC: Descente, Ltd. De-Lists Common Shares from the Tokyo Stock Exchange
The company called an extraordinary shareholders’ meeting for December 25, 2024, and offered a proposal regarding a share consolidation that was approved as proposed by the company’s shareholders. As a result, the company’s shares were delisted.

EXEC:Beyond Yoga Parent Sees Active Athleisure Brand as Billion-Dollar Bet
Levi’s CEO said the company is excited to open its first Beyond Yoga East Coast store in Connecticut later this year and remain confident about the prospects for Beyond Yoga to one day become a billion-dollar brand.

EXEC: Inside the Improving Vans Performance and Turnaround Story
Sharp declines in Asia heavily impacted the 8 percent decline for the Vans brand in Q3 but also represented an improvement against the year-to-date period that saw reported sales down 13 percent in constant-currency terms.

EXEC: VF Corp. CEO Hints at More Cuts Ahead While Improving Processes
Bracken Darrell said the company is already working on process and organizational changes that will contribute to unlocking another $500 million to $600 million in operating income expansion, with half of that coming from SG&A expenses alone.

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.

EXEC: Golden Goose Group Snags Minority Investment from Hong Kong Firm
The transaction with Blue Pool Capital, which was negotiated and agreed shortly after the Group’s decision to postpone its planned IPO in June 2024, was completed on January 28, 2025.

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.

EXEC: REI Greensboro Employees Unionize; SoHo Ski Workers Get PPE Agreement
RWDSU said in a statement that REI Greensboro workers first began organizing in the wake of REI’s October 2023 round of layoffs, which cut the jobs of 275 of “the most experienced workers.”

EXEC: Kappa Retail Stores in China Moderate Decline in Fiscal Q3
Same-store sales for the Kappa-branded stores, which have been in operation since the beginning of the same quarter last year, were down in high-single-digits on a year-over-year basis.