SGB Executive Footwear
Oppenheimer Upgrades Nike On “Technological Evolution” Promise
Oppenheimer lifted the rating on Nike Inc. to “Outperform” due to the company’s investments in building a “digitally-enhanced” business model that are expected to “enhance most facets of its business.”
Cowen Calls Out Active Lifestyle Upstarts
In a note, analysts at Cowen Group highlighted six up-and-coming or rebounding brands – Fila, Puma, Rhone, Allbirds, Fanatics and StockX – that are causing some disruption in the active lifestyle space with the potential to do more.
Fitness Takes A Hit With Sears Bankruptcy
In a blow to a number of fitness equipment suppliers, Sears, as expected, on Monday filed for bankruptcy protection. One fitness company, Icon Health And Fitness Inc., landed on Sears’ list of the top-20 unsecured creditors, owed $12.1 million.
Implus Amplifies One-Stop-Shop Empire With SKLZ
In an interview with SGB Executive, Seth Richards, CEO of Implus, and Todd Vore, president, discuss the company’s game-changing acquisition of SKLZ, what it means to its expanding fitness platform and the evolution of Implus’ dynamic one-stop-shop solution for accessories that now covers 20 brands.
Report: Sears May Liquidate Before Holiday Selling
A bankruptcy filing by Sears Holdings, the parent of Sears and Kmart, is expected as soon as Monday when a major debt payment comes due. But sources told the Wall Street Journal that some of the company’s major lenders are pushing for an outright liquidation to avoid any bankruptcy restructuring phase. A liquidation would waylay the fitness equipment category and add promotional pressures to holiday selling.
Aisle Talk Week Of October 8
Top headlines from the active lifestyle industry you may have missed this week, including Asics announcing the opening of an urban, large-scale, low oxygen training center in Tokyo in September 2019.
Kevin Plank Discusses Under Armour’s Vision Quest
Speaking last week at the Advertising Week conference in New York City, Under Armour’s Kevin Plank spoke about the importance of brand values in driving sales and earning advocacy. The brand’s recent sales slump, according to the CEO, is partly because management neglected the company’s core purpose after years of growth.
Nike’s Kaepernick Campaign Garners Mixed Reaction In Cowen Survey
Nike’s “Just Do It” campaign featuring Colin Kaepernick received mixed reaction based on factors such as how much consumers earn annually and how much they spend with the brand, according to a survey published Wednesday by the investment firm Cowen.
DSW Reinvents Business Model With Camuto Group Acquisition
On a conference call with analysts, DSW Inc. officials said the Camuto Group deal extends the company’s growth opportunities outside the moderate channel and footwear category, but will particularly support its effort to sell exclusive brands inside DSW locations, at third-party stores and direct to consumers. Said DSW’s CEO Roger Rawlins, “As the retail landscape evolves strong brands with the ability to build the direct-to-consumer model have captured increasing market share.”
Adidas CEO Sees U.S. Share Gains Continuing
In an interview Tuesday on CNBC, Adidas CEO Kasper Rorsted admitted that Nike has improved its competitive positioning in the U.S. marketplace but he said the Adidas Brand is still gobbling up share in the region. Said Rorsted, “For the third year in a row, there’s no doubt that we are taking share in America.” Rorstead also discussed tariffs, Kanye West and Colin Kaepernick.
How To Navigate The Trade War
Companies that are subject to new tariffs on Chinese-made products might be able to mitigate some or all of the financial impact, according to David Cohen, a Washington, DC-based international trade lawyer, who spoke at the recent SFIA Industry Leaders Summit. “You’re not sitting ducks. There are ways, there are countermeasures, that companies can take.”
Community Engagement Pays Off
Whether its coaches for BSN Sports, runners for Fleet Feet or the local Latino community for WSS, the benefits of engaging communities was spelled out loudly at a session featuring a number of retailers at the SFIA’s recent Industry Leaders Summit in Denver. The challenges in driving consistent engagement were also heard.
Aisle Talk Week of October 1
Top headlines from the active lifestyle industry you may have missed this week, including BSN Sports, a division of Varsity Brands and the nation’s largest direct marketer and distributor of sporting goods to the school and league markets, completing its acquisition of Port Jeff Sporting Goods (pictured).
VF Corp. To Say Bye To Reef
While acquiring Icebreaker and Altra this year amid stepped-up efforts to “reshape” the company’s portfolio, VF Corp. on Thursday reached an agreement to sell Reef, the surf-inspired sandal brand, to The Rockport Group. The divestiture will mark the first sell-off of a brand that had been part of the company’s Outdoor or Active coalitions that has driven the company’s growth for the last two decades.
College Basketball Scandal Spreads
In opening statements in the first trial tied to the FBI’s investigation into corruption throughout college basketball, a lawyer representing James Gatto, Adidas’ former director of global sports marketing, asserted that her client’s payments to the families of top high school basketball recruits were only made to compete with similar payments being made by Nike and Under Armour.
