SGB Executive Outdoor

SGB Media Sees Surge In Mobile Users As Web Page Views Jump 19 Percent
In a potential sign that the pandemic continues to influence how people consume content and shop, SGB Media saw its online media presence, SGBonline.com, post breakout numbers once again.

Trade War Impact Remains Uncertain
On quarterly conference calls last week, executives at both retailers and vendors said the ultimate impact of the tariff war isn’t clearly known, especially if the fourth tranche on $300 billion of imports that hit apparel and footwear items becomes effective. But most reassured analysts they’re taking or have taken steps to mitigate most of the expected damage. Comments from VF Corp, Deckers Brands, Kohl’s, JC Penney, Target, Hibbett Sports, TJX Cos. and Ross Stores.

Hydro Flask Has ‘Incredible Amount Of White Space’
At Helen of Troy’s Investor Day on Tuesday, company officials talked up the continuing strong potential of Hydro Flask as it expands across categories. Larry Witt, president of the Housewares division, said, “The outdoor space like the home space has a vast number of product categories to play in, and that’s why we see an incredible amount of white space for Hydro Flask.”

Cause Marketing Platforms Not Breaking Through With Gen Z
Several brands in the active lifestyle space, including Patagonia, Nike and Toms, are being recognized for their purpose-driven ethos and related cause-marketing efforts according to an extensive study from DoSomething.org. But the study still found it’s not easy to break through and create belief among consumers.

Cannondale Driving Rebound For Dorel Sports
Dorel Industries said its Dorel Sports’ segment showed some recovery in the first quarter. Growth at Cycling Sports Group (CSG), led by Cannondale, helped offset continued pressures at the mass channel. Said Martin Schwartz, Dorel’s CEO, “We’re excited about prospects with the Cannondale line demonstrating excellent momentum.”

Wolverine’s Q1 Sales Slowed By Weather, Conservative Re-Orders
Wolverine World Wide reported earnings topped guidance in the first quarter and four of its major brands – Merrell, Saucony, Cat and Wolverine – exceeded internal sales expectations. Overall sales came in below expectations due to a downturn in the boat shoe market and weak re-orders that particularly impacted Sperry.

As Headwinds Mount, Is Camping World Making The Right Moves?
Headwinds continue to batter Camping World Holdings Inc., with such factors as a soft RV market, tough comps with 2018, operational restructuring and even a lawsuit taking a toll on the company. Is Camping World making the right moves in response?

Bogs’ Bounce Back Continues In Q1
Bogs, continuing on the recovery seen in 2018, saw revenues jump 23 percent in the first quarter. The gains were due primarily to higher sales to outdoor and online retailers.

Coleman Distribution Loss Drives Down Newell’s Q1 Performance
Outdoor equipment brand Coleman lost distribution at a key U.S. retailer, for coolers in particular, which was a key driver in parent company Newell Brands’ poor first-quarter performance that saw a 6.4 percent revenue decline in its Home & Outdoor Living segment. However, the company is “about to lap that distribution loss” by the end of Q2.

Johnson Outdoors Q2 Boosted By Strength In Fishing And Diving
Johnson Outdoors Inc. said it faced challenges in its kayak and tent businesses in the second quarter March 29, but still managed to show a slight increase in profits in the period due to momentum in its larger Fishing and Diving segments.

Unifi Lowers Outlook Again
Unifi Inc. for the third quarter in a row lowered its outlook for the year due to competitive pressures in the polyester space, especially from low-cost imports heading into the U.S.

Big 5 Delivers Robust First Quarter But Weak Outlook
Big 5 Sporting Goods Corp. delivered a strong first quarter as cold weather boosted its winter business. But the California-based sporting goods chain also warned of a loss in the current quarter due to a later Easter this year and also warned that overall sales appear soft.

Unity Needed For Snow Sports Industry To Boost Participation
As this historic ski and snowboard season winds down, it’s time for the industry to gather for an après drink and find ways to reverse the trend of declining participation. SGB spoke with numerous stakeholders about how they can contribute to the cause and why building on the momentum of this epic season is so critical.

Cherokee Global Brands Sees Double-Digit Q4 Growth For Hi-Tec
Cherokee Global Brands reported sales declined 11 percent in the fourth quarter due to a shift from direct-to-retail (DTR) through a wholesale licensing model. A bright spot, however, was the Hi-Tec brand, which delivered a 12 percent gain in revenues year-over-year.

Rocky Brands Inc. Ramps Up Reinvestment After Strong Q1
Marketing efforts clearly paid off for Rocky Brands Inc. in the first quarter, with the company reporting a 9.1 percent earnings increase on a 7.4 percent revenue gain, both of which beat Wall Street’s estimates. Now the company plans to double down on that strategy by reinvesting some of the profits from last quarter into a revamped and rejuvenated marketing strategy aimed at taking more share across end markets.