SGB Executive Footwear

EXEC: Asics Hikes FY Outlook As Q3 Revenues Climb 16 Percent
Asics raised its guidance for the year after reporting sales in the third quarter grew 16.0 percent with profits expanding faster. Double-digit revenue growth in the quarter was achieved in North America, Europe, Japan and Greater China.

EXEC: Mizuno Corporation Posts Record H1 Results in Sales and Profits
Mizuno management said there are concerns regarding the volatility of the financial market due to the monetary policies of individual countries and changes in political and global landscapes, as well as changes in consumer sentiment amid the continued rise in prices.

EXEC: Alpargatas Saw Havaianas Taking Market Share, Posting Growth in Q3
The management team at Alpargatas, the Brazil-based parent of the Havaianas and Rothy’s brands, offered their take on the 2024 third quarter with a particular focus on the company’s strategic review and transformation process that has already started to bear fruit for the Havaianas flip-flop brand.

EXEC: Under Armour Shares Pop on Strong Q2 Earnings Beat
Shares of Under Armour surged 27 percent on Thursday after the company reported operating earnings topped guidance by $50 million due to efforts to reduce promotions at its DTC channels, particularly online. Under Armour President and CEO Kevin Plank expressed confidence that initiatives to elevate product and storytelling will drive a return to growth.

EXEC: SportChek’s Q3 Retail Sales Grow and Helly Hansen Declines for Parent Canadian Tire
SportChek retail sales increased 2.0 percent year-over-year and comparable sales were up 2.9 percent for the quarter, marking two consecutive quarters in which SportChek outperformed industry trends.

EXEC: Puma Eyes Boost from Low-Profile Footwear Trend
Puma’s growth accelerated in the third quarter to a 5 percent currency-adjusted (ca) gain from 2.1 percent in the second quarter, led by a recovery in footwear demand. Arne Freundt, CEO of Puma, said on a media call, “I’m very confident to say that we are leading the low-profile trend.”

Study: Boys Participation Declines; Increased Specialization Tops Youth Sports Concerns
Kids have returned to pre-COVID sports participation levels. However, some worrisome trends in the Aspen Institute’s National State of Play 2024 report highlight that boys continue to play fewer sports and kids are specializing in one sport rather than multiple, even more so post-pandemic.

Study: Out-of-Stocks Drive 66 Percent of Consumers to Another Retailer
“‘Right product, right place, right time’ echoes in every retail conference room. Yet as retailers have expanded their online assortments and marketplaces to attract new customers and traffic, it’s become more challenging to avoid frustrating shoppers when they can’t find their size or their desired item in-store.”

EXEC: Columbia Sportswear CEO Lays Out Brand’s “Accelerate” Growth Program
The company said the decline in net sales reflects lower Fall ’24 wholesale orders, as well as weak consumer demand in the U.S. partially attributable to warm weather and outdoor category headwinds. Mountain Hardwear was the only brand in positive territory.

EXEC: Sebago, K-Way Parent BasicNet Relies on Europe for Growth in YTD Period
Europe (+7.3 percent) accounts for ~76.5 percent of aggregate sales while declines were seen in Americas (-30.9 percent), Asia and Oceania (-24.7 percent), and Middle East and Africa (-5.4 percent).

EXEC: Kappa Retail Stores in China Post Continued Declines in Fiscal Q2
China Dongxiang Co., Ltd. reported that its Kappa-branded stores recorded a high-single-digit decrease on a year-over-year basis for the fiscal second quarter ended September 30.

EXEC: VF Corp. Sets Medium-Term Targets at Investor Day
At VF’s Investor Day, “Reinvent to Grow,” company President Bracken Darrell highlighted six areas that the company is focused on at the enterprise level to build a competitive advantage and revive profitability and growth.

EXEC: Big 5 Sees Improving Sales Trends Leading into Holiday Season
The retailer saw the Apparel and Footwear categories each down ~9 percent and Hardgoods was down ~6 percent in Q3 but a number of product categories are contributing to the improvements in sales trending, including the early rates in fall and winter apparel.

Brooks Running Reaches $1 Billion Milestone in Nine-Month YTD Period
The gains in the third quarter were said to be boosted by a 10 percent year-over-year increase in North America, led by 16 percent e-commerce growth. Revenues grew 10 percent in the EMEA region, reportedly fueled by 24 percent e-commerce sales growth.

EXEC: Adidas Settles with Kanye, But Yeezy Hangover Still a Drag on Strong Third Quarter
With this settlement, Adidas unwound a €100 million provision related to outstanding legal issues over the Yeezy break-up and now plans to also donate that sum to charities. Including the €100 million, total funds earmarked for charity related to the Yeezy inventory sell-off now stand at about €250 million.