SGB Executive Outdoor
Hydro Flask Soars As Helen of Troy Pursues Tariff Mitigation
Helen of Troy Ltd. got a surprisingly strong performance from Hydro Flask in the second quarter, but rising tariffs have the company looking at moving its sourcing outside of China—a daunting but necessary act—to avoid increasing prices for customers.
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.”
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).
SGB Executive Q&A: Coast Products CEO David Brands
Coast Products has a rich history. The Portland, OR-based maker of knives, multitools, headlamps, flashlights and other accessories is turning 100 next year and has been family-owned since its founding in 1919. CEO David Brands spoke with SGB about the origins of the company his grandfather created, what’s driving growth and where Coast goes from here.
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.
September M&A Roundup: Ski Resort Consolidation Ramps Up
Signs of the coming ski season are evident in many North American mountain towns, where fall foliage is peaking, snowmaking has begun at some resorts and a new crop of ski and snowboard films is hitting theaters. Ski area operators are especially active these days, of course, but not only from fine-tuning their chairlifts and hiring seasonal staff. They have been busy expanding their empires.
Relief Over Recast NAFTA Deal
With fears over the arrangement being scrapped entirely, relief arrived after the U.S., and Canada came to a last-minute agreement on a revised trade deal that could replace NAFTA. While the dairy and auto industries will face some changes, the impact on the apparel and footwear sectors appears negligible.
Yeti IPO Shows Revenues Bouncing Back
Yeti is taking the company’s second crack at going public after seeing sales plunge 22 percent in 2017 and witnessing a robust recovery so far this year. The slowdown was caused by over-buying by retailers that led to a glut of inventory in the marketplace as well as a challenging retail marketplace, in part caused by the delay in the merger of Bass Pro and Cabela’s and several retailer bankruptcies.
Vail Resorts’ Shares Slip After Q4 Revenue Miss
Shares of Vail Resorts Inc. fell $11.71, or 4.1 percent, to $274.42 at market close Friday after the company reported revenue of $211.6 million for the fiscal fourth quarter ended July 31 missed Wall Street’s revenue target by $1.7 million. The Broomfield, CO-based did beat analysts’ earnings expectations by 18 cents.
Aisle Talk Week of September 24
Top headlines from the active lifestyle industry you may have missed this week, including Amazon opening Amazon 4-star, a new physical store where everything for sale is rated four stars and above, is a top seller or is new and trending on Amazon.com.
Active-Lifestyle Well Represented On The Inc. 5000
Peloton, Bombas, Klymit, Xero Shoes and Hyperice were among a number of companies in the active-lifestyle space landing on The Inc. 5000, the magazine’s annual ranking of the fastest-growing private companies in America.
SGB Executive Q&A: Burton Snowboards CMO Sarah Crockett
Sarah Crockett, Burton Snowboards’ newly appointed chief marketing officer, spoke with SGB this week—her second on the job and third in Burlington, VT—about her new role, balancing Burton’s heritage story with the company’s desire to constantly innovate and the importance of diversity in the boardroom.
Behind The Deal: Peak Resorts Makes Strong Play With Snow Time Acquisition
The move that Peak Resorts Inc. made Monday—the $76 million acquisition of Snow Time Inc. and its three Pennsylvania ski areas—won’t generate the same buzz as deals made by competitors such as Vail and Alterra, but the Wildwood, MO-based company’s purchase does pack plenty of punch. Company executives spoke with SGB about the purchase.
Stifel’s Inaugural Athletic Survey Shows Positive Spending Intentions
Stifel’s inaugural Athletic Apparel and Footwear Consumer Survey points to higher spending intentions for both athletic apparel and footwear in the next six months. Nike not surprisingly ranked as the preferred athletic brand across footwear and apparel categories but Under Armour, Adidas, Champion, New Balance, Vans, The North Face and Skechers are all resonating with key constituencies.
Retail Reports Roundup
Studies arrived last week including Nike dominating apparel brands’ preferences, mixed views on social commerce, AI benefits to supply-chain efficiency, wide-ranging checkout opportunities and free delivery’s expanding appeal as well as another merry holiday forecast.
