SGB Executive Apparel

Gildan Activewear Adeptly Navigates Q2 Supply Chain Disruption
Labor strikes and political unrest have hindered the movement of goods across and out of Nicaragua, where Gildan Activewear operates three of the company’s 13 sewing facilities, but not even these disruptions could dampen the apparel manufacturer’s second quarter.

Unifi Seeing Some Benefits From Pricing Adjustments
Unifi Inc.’s adjusted earnings declined in the fourth quarter ended June 24 due to spiking crude oil prices. But the recycled fiber specialist saw healthy top-line growth and gross profit and operating income for the fourth quarter improved compared to the third quarter with the help of pricing adjustments.

Can Champion Offset Loss Of Target Mega-Deal?
Shares of HanesBrands fell $4.30, or 19.3 percent, to $17.96 on Wednesday after management said the wildly-successful C9 by Champion line would be exiting Target once the contract expires in January 2020. Gerald W. Evans Jr., Hanesbrands CEO, said the brand is close to maturity on Target’s selling floors and the company was sticking to its target for Champion’s global sales to reach over $2 billion by 2022.

Weakness In Camping, Water Sports Sinks Big 5 Sporting Goods’ Q2
Poor weather around the country stymied the sales of camping and water sports products at Big 5 Sporting Goods Corp. stores in the back half of the second quarter, driving down income and revenue for the company during the period.

July M&A Roundup: Where Will Perry Ellis Ownership Saga End?
July was quiet for M&A activity in the outdoor and active lifestyle space, but the ownership saga surrounding Perry Ellis International made plenty of noise as it took more twists and turns.

Nomura Downgrades Acushnet On Valuation, Cautions On Under Armour And Canada Goose
Nomura Instinet analyst Simeon Siegel downgraded Acushnet Holdings, the parent of Titleist and Footjoy, to “Neutral” due to the stock’s recent run-up in price while also expressing valuation concerns on Under Armour and Canada Goose.

Beyond Product: Industry Trends, Brand Stories Take Center Stage At OR
New product releases tend to garner most of the headlines at trade shows, but at Outdoor Retailer Summer Market, SGB’s editorial team also wanted to discover what’s happening with brands beyond the latest and greatest gear and apparel. Here are some of the stories and industry trends we found and hints of what’s to come.

VF Corp. CEO Steve Rendle Talks Company’s ‘Purpose-Led Journey’
VF Corp. CEO Steve Rendle spoke at last week’s Camber Outdoors keynote breakfast—held in conjunction with Outdoor Retailer Summer Market—where he shared his company’s vision for becoming more inclusive and diverse.

Arc’teryx Sales, China Growth Boost Amer Sports In Q2
Double-digit improvement with the Arc’teryx brand and a 21 percent sales growth in China were the primary drivers behind Finland-based Amer Sports’ performance in the second quarter.

Columbia Gaining Traction With ‘Project Connect’ Initiative
Columbia Sportswear Co. launched an ambitious transformation plan, Project Connect, one year ago, and so far the project has delivered the results the global apparel and footwear company sought, according to executive comments made during Thursday’s earnings call with analysts.

Aisle Talk Week of July 23
Top headlines from the active lifestyle industry you may have missed this week, including the U.S. House of Representatives approving the Personal Health Investment Today (PHIT) Act, which allows the use of pre-tax savings accounts for physical activity-related expenses.

Under Armour Takes Bigger Restructuring Hit
Under Armour logged a steep second-quarter loss as the company ramped up the company’s restructuring efforts to further clean up the company’s inventories in the marketplace and reduce the company’s cost structure. The moves are designed to build a sounder foundation to support the company’s promised turnaround starting in 2019.

Americas Region, Chunkier Styles Drive Puma’s Q2 Growth
Puma SE said it scrambled to catch up to a fashion shift toward bulkier footwear to enable it to continue its robust top-line momentum. But due to higher marketing expenses to maintain that growth, Puma wasn’t able to lift its profit outlook for the year.

Mammut Enhances Digital Capabilities By Acquiring Mountain Hub
Swiss-based apparel brand Mammut added to the company’s capabilities with Wednesday’s announcement that the brand had acquired Mountain Hub. SGB spoke with Joe Prebich of Mammut and Brint Markle of Mountain Hub (pictured) for a behind-the-scenes look at the deal.

Wall Street Cheers Lululemon’s CEO Hire
Shares of Lululemon Athletica rose slightly on Wednesday as Wall Street analysts unanimously applauded the hiring of Calvin McDonald, the CEO of the Sephora cosmetics chain, as its next CEO.