SGB Executive Footwear

Fitbit CEO: Versa Gives Retailers ‘Counterbalance To Apple’

For the second consecutive quarter, Fitbit Inc.’s Versa delivered a significant revenue boost for the wearables company. The Versa, which sold out in the quarter ended June 30, helped Fitbit lift smartwatch sales to 55 percent of the company’s 2.7 million total of devices sold in Q2, up from 30 percent in Q1.

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.

Shares of Rocky Brands Soar On Earnings Beat

Shares of Rocky Brands jumped $6.00, or 23.2 percent, to $31.85 after the boot maker delivered earnings that ran past Wall Street’s targets. Georgia Boot, Durango and Rocky Boot all delivered robust growth in the quarter at healthy margins.

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.

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.

Deckers Brands Outlook Disappoints

Deckers Brands handily exceeded the company’s guidance in the first quarter with monster gains from Ugg and Hoka One One. But shares slid on Friday as much of the upside was attributed to earlier-than anticipated shipments and the company only slightly lifted EPS guidance for the year.

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.

What’s Behind Brooks Running’s Shop-In-Shop Initiative?

On June 16, Brooks Running announced the company was partnering with 30 run specialty shops in the U.S. and Canada to launch the company’s first shop-in-shop program. SGB Executive reached out to Mike Billish, VP of U.S. sales, to explore the new program.

Outdoor Industry Leaders Issue Call-To-Action On Participation

Likening outdoor participation to a “leaky bucket,” the Outdoor Foundation Board Chair Sally McCoy, said at the OIA Industry Breakfast that the industry has been able to “get some people in but we’re losing more out the bottom.” Moreover, she said Outdoor Foundation research confirms “we’re late in the game” as far as reversing trends.

Experience Counts … Demo Day Kicks Off Outdoor Retailer Summer Market

Outdoor brands took to Denver’s Confluence and Commons parks Sunday afternoon to showcase some of their newest offerings for 2019 and give retailers a chance to paddle SUPs, pedal e-bikes and check out dozens of products from water bottles to energy bars to a stand-to-pee accessory for women.