SGB Executive Outdoor

EXEC: Academy Sports Sees Weather/Consumer Woes Derailing Sales Recovery
Academy Sports and Outdoors, Inc. said a slow start to fall selling due to warmer temperatures as well as continued weak consumer demand caused third-quarter results to miss plan, resulting in a downward revision to full-year guidance. CEO Steve Lawrence said on an analysts call, “We feel like we don’t have a challenged strategy. We’ve got a challenged customer.”

EXEC: VF Corp. Cutting Another 500 Jobs This Week
Fifteen months after cutting 300 jobs across its global workforce, the parent of the Vans, TNF, Dickies, Timberland, Smartwool, Jansport and other active lifestyle brands, is at it again, confirming Wednesday that another 500 jobs would be eliminated this week.

EXEC: Black Friday Weekend Sales See Encouraging Start to Holiday Selling
Led by online selling and boosted by promotions, sales on Black Friday and over the past weekend topped or came in line with modest expectations, according to multiple survey reports and Wall Street analysts.

EXEC: Analysts Skeptical of Colt CZ’s Bid for Vista Outdoor
While Vista Outdoor’s stock has seen an uptick following news of Colt CZ making an unsolicited offer to acquire the company for $30 per share, or for $1.74 billion, analysts believe Vista’s board will reject the offer and follow through on its planned sale of Vista’s ammo business to Czechoslovak Group.

EXEC: Vista Outdoor Receives Unsolicited Offer to Acquire Company
Colt CZ Group has made an unsolicited offer to acquire the company for $30 per share, or $1.74 billion, potentially derailing a planned sale of Vista’s Sporting Goods business to Czechoslovak Group (CSG) and spinoff of the Outdoor Sports segment.

EXEC: Wall Street Reacts to Strong Q3 for Dick’s and Hibbett
The third-quarter earnings beats and raised guidance for both Dick’s Sporting Goods and Hibbett increased investor confidence that the athletic retail space is positioned to at least outperform the broader retail sector in a challenging marketplace, although some analysts were concerned about margin pressures at Dick’s.

EXEC: Kohl’s Shares Fall on Choppy Q3 Results, Sharp E-Commerce Decline
The retailer had a solid back-to-school season, and through the first eight weeks, sales were tracking above expectations, but warmer weather during the latter part of September and into October had a clear impact on demand for fall seasonal goods, especially in store.

EXEC: Dick’s SG Beats Q3 Expectations, Bullish on Holiday Selling
Boosted by a “very strong” back-to-school selling season, Dick’s Sporting Goods posted above-plan third-quarter results, lifting its guidance for the year. Lauren Hobart, president and CEO, told analysts, “We are pleased with how our consumer is holding up within the sporting goods industry and then particularly that they’re choosing Dick’s increasingly to meet their needs.”

EXEC: VF Scores Upgrade from JP Morgan
JP Morgan raised its rating and price targets on VF Corp. on increasing confidence that recently-hired CEO Bracken Darrell will use a similar strategy he used at his former company, Logitech International, to achieve a turnaround at the parent of Vans and The North Face.

EXEC: Duer’s Founder Discusses Denim Disruption
In 2015, Duer created a range of “stretch performance denim” manufactured from plants and various recycled materials, putting a new spin on jeanswear. Founder Gary Lenett talked with SGB Executive about the Vancouver-based brand’s inspiration, emerging opportunities outside denim, distribution model, and commitment to sustainability.

EXEC: Gap Sees Athleta’s Recovery Taking Longer Than Planned
Athleta’s sales declined 18 percent in the third quarter against “heavy discounting” a year ago and are expected to decline double-digits in the fourth quarter as the retailer’s recovery from recent fashion miscues has taken longer than expected.

EXEC: On Delivers Record Quarterly Results, Elevated Inventories Concerning
Swiss running brand On delivered its seventh consecutive record quarter in revenues and achieved its highest gross margin since its August-2022 IPO. However, shares closed down slightly on Tuesday due to concerns over elevated inventory levels and its ability to deliver growth to match On’s stock’s high multiple.