SGB Executive Outdoor
EXEC: Giant Group Sales Fall in Third Quarter
Consolidated revenue for the third quarter declined 24.5 percent year-over-year as sales in each month of the quarter declined more than 20 percent. Still, the decrease in September was a a sequential improvement versus sharper declines in July and August.
Consumer Prices Rose More Than Forecast in September; Apparel CPI Declines
One bright spot for consumers was in the month-over-month CPI for Apparel, which declined 0.8 percent from August, most likely owing to the de-stocking and promotional environment at retail.
EXEC: Volumental’s Brent Hollowell Talks Fit for Feet
Volumental, the Swedish footwear fit tech company, recently hired industry veteran Brent Hollowell as general manager for its North American operations, responsible for accelerating growth in the region. Hollowell talked with SGB Executive about his role, Volumental’s push into North America, the barriers to fit tech, and the potential of generative AI in the fit process.
EXEC: Sports Direct Parent Expands Stake in Norwegian Retailer
Shares of XXL, the struggling Oslo-listed sports retailer, are reportedly surging after the company reported that Frasers Group, the UK-based parent of Sports Direct, purchased 117.4 million shares of the company, bringing its total holding to 162.1 million.
EXEC: BRC Sees Weaker UK Retail Growth in September as Non-Food Sales Decline
The British Retail Consortium reported that total UK retail sales were 2.7 percent in September, against a growth of 2.2 percent in September 2022, supported by a 9.5 percent inflation rate.
EXEC: JD Sports Completes Shares Purchase of Iberian Sports Retail Group
Effective October 10, JD acquired 49.98 percent of shares of ISRG from Balaiko Firaja Invest, S.L. and Sonae Holdings, S.A. for cash consideration of €500.1 million ($531.2 million) and now owns 100 percent of ISRG shares.
Report: UK Holiday Spending Increase Will Fall Short of Inflation Growth
The 3.4 percent growth for the holiday selling period, driven by 9.3 percent inflation for the year, still falls short of last year’s increase and marks a second quarter of slowing growth in 2023.
EXEC: Report Sees Crocs, Hoka, New Balance, and On Increasing Teen Appeal
Crocs, Hoka, New Balance, and On were among the brands in the active lifestyle space that increased their appeal with teens in Piper Sandler’s 46th Semi-Annual Taking Stock With Teens Survey. Nike dominated teen mindshare in footwear and apparel but lost brand appeal in the performance category, while Adidas, Converse, Under Armour, and Vans ost ground with teens. Lululemon had a mixed performance.
Rupert Campbell Leaving Adidas North America
The president of Adidas North America will step down to pursue other opportunities, effective October 27. Executive board member Arthur Hoeld, who leads global sales, will oversee the region until a successor is found.
EXEC: An Inside Look at On as Company Builds a “True Sportswear Brand”
On is also looking to expand its share with core runners as part of a long-term goal to become the world’s leading running shoe but recent findings show the brand being worn by just 15 percent of runners on major running routes in Miami and only 7 percent in New York City.
EXEC: Hydro Flask and Osprey on Divergent Paths in Fiscal Q2
Osprey reportedly surpassed expectations for the third straight quarter with help from improving travel demand, but Hydro Flask continued to be pressured by a shift in consumer preference from insulated bottles to tumblers.
EXEC: U.K. Retailers Facing Rising Retail Crime Demand Government Action
The 2023 BRC Crime Survey showed incidents of violence and abuse towards retail workers had almost doubled from pre-pandemic levels to 867 incidents every day in 2021/22. Top executives at JD Sports were signatories to the demand letter.
EXEC: JLL Holiday Survey Sees Experiences Weighing on Traditional Gift Spend
In the JLL 2023 Holiday Shopping Survey Report consumers are poised to increase spending on entertainment and experiences during the holiday season but at the expense of the amount they would have spent on gift giving. The survey found spending on physical goods to decline 13.8 percent.
Movement Skis Cuts OpEx After Tough Start to Year
Weak sales prompted the company to take a hard look at its operating expenses, with personnel costs cut by 16 percent, advertising costs by 10 percent, R&D costs by 25 percent, and G&A expenses by 19 percent.
EXEC: ASOS plc Warns on Fiscal Year Cashflow Issue Due to Timing Effects
The retailer typically receives cash from their sales gross of returns and sales tax immediately. However, the cash outflow from sales tax, returns and variable costs associated with those sales predominantly impacts the following two months. The impact will reverse during September and October.
