SGB Executive Footwear
EXEC: U.S. and China Agree to 90-Day Tariff Pause; Asia FW Shipments Rose in April
In announcing a pause on the tariff war, the U.S. tariffs were cut to 30 percent from 145 percent, and the China tariffs on U.S. goods were cut to 10 percent from 125 percent as the two countries work to develop a long-term deal.
EXEC: Saucony is the New Darling for Wolverine Worldwide as Sales Jump 30 Percent in Q1
The Saucony brand is clearly the new darling at its parent company in Grand Rapids, Michigan, delivering revenue growth of 31.1 percent in constant-currency terms in Q1, but is also gaining steam in China, where the licensee there reported 40 percent growth.
EXEC: Merrell Parent’s CEO Lays Out Q1 Results, Tariff Plans and Q2 Growth Estimates
Wolverine Worldwide first quarter revenue grew by over 5 percent on an ongoing basis and nearly 7 percent on a constant-currency basis, with the results driven by the company’s two biggest brands: Saucony and Merrell.
EXEC: Crocs Seeks $50 Million in Cost Savings to Offset Tariffs
On Crocs Inc.’s Q1 analyst call, Andrew Rees, CEO, said the footwear maker suspended its guidance for 2025 primarily due to the company’s inability to forecast the financial impact from future tariffs and identified a further $50 million in additional savings to offset the potential fallout.
EXEC: REI Members Reject Three Co-op Backed Board of Director Candidates
Employees and organizers of the REI Union effort have taken credit for running a successful and disruptive attempt to reject the candidates put forward by the co-op’s current Board of Directors and offered up their candidates
EXEC: REI Co-op Halves 2024 Net Loss, Improves Margins, Reduces Inventories
The co-op reported that 2024 net sales declined ~6.2 percent to $3.53 billion, compared to $3.76 billion in 2023, while investing over $282 million back into the co-op community and ending the year in a cash flow neutral position.
EXEC: Puma SE Profit Plunges on Flat Q1 Sales Growth; Confirms 500 Position Cuts
The company reported flat year-over-year sales growth in the first quarter on a currency-adjusted basis and a 1.3 percent decline in reported terms, as Wholesale fell behind and DTC sales posted double-digit growth.
EXEC: Under Armour’s and Mizuno’s So. America Partner Posts High-Teens Q1 Growth
The company, which manages the Under Armour, Mizuno and Olympikus brands in South America, said in its Q1 report that the e-commerce channel continued its strong growth trajectory during the first quarter, posting a 53.8 percent y/y increase for the quarter.
Lowa Revenues Inched Up in 2024 Led by Kids, Winter Shoes and Trail Running
Lowa Sportschuhe GmbH reported sales grew 1.9 percent in 2024 to €233.9 million ($246 mm), marking the second-best result in the German company’s history. Kids, winter shoes and trail running segments led the gains.
EXEC: Analysts Offer Take on Skechers USA Going Private in $9.4 Billion Deal
Amid significant uncertainty in the marketplace caused by the President’s trade war, Skechers USA agreed to be acquired by private equity firm 3G Capital for $9.4 billion in a move that will end its 26-year run in the public markets. The sale announcement follows a decision by Skechers not to offer full-year guidance in April due to trade uncertainties with shoe companies highly exposed to President Trump’s tariffs.
EXEC: SFIA State of the Industry Report Reveals Healthy Industry Profits in 2024
Besides tariffs and economic concerns, the SFIA State of the Industry Report outlines that industry executives are pleased with recent performance results and are upbeat about prospects.
EXEC: Brooks Running Boasts Strong Q1 Gains in Int’l Markets and U.S. Run Specialty
The company did not provide growth trends or volume for U.S. national retailers although it did provide select market research data for the channel. That channel is heavily dominated by On and Hoka in the current environment. A push in lifestyle may give Brooks, like Asics last year, a solid re-positioning in the channel.
EXEC: Columbia Brand Set to Take Market Share Back in 2025; Q1 Exceeds Outlook
First-quarter net sales and earnings exceeded guidance, driven by late-season demand for winter products and strong early-spring shipments. International markets, which contributed 40 percent of annual sales, performed well, with double-digit growth in the LAAP region and high-single-digit growth in EMEA.
Report: Sports & Fitness Manufacturers’ Sales Growth Moderated in 2024
SFIA’s latest report found that some key categories, including martial arts gear, tennis balls, pickleball racquets and outdoor/adventure footwear, delivered double-digit growth in 2024 while sales across various categories remained far above pre-pandemic levels.
EXEC: Authentic Inks New ANZ Licensing Partner for Former Boardriders Brands
Authentic said the move secures the future of over 200 branded retail stores, wholesale and e-commerce platforms, and ongoing success for Quiksilver, Billabong, Roxy, RVCA, DC Shoes, Element, VonZipper, Spyder, and Volcom.
