SGB Executive

Nike ranked second only to Kering, the parent of Gucci, Saint Laurent and other luxury labels, in Business of Fashion’s first-ever Sustainability Index. Also achieving relatively high scores among companies in the active lifestyle space was Puma, VF Corp and Adidas.

Taking advantage of the pandemic-driven increase in backcountry skiing, Colorado’s Bluebird Backcountry, the first “human-powered” ski resort, made as big of strides as its participants in its second year of operation and new Colorado location.

Lululemon Athletica reported same-store sales climbed a better-than-expected 21 percent in the fourth quarter as online sales continued to vault. Robust sales guidance is again seen for the current year as Lululemon officials expressed confidence that the pandemic has accelerated growth opportunities.

Academy Sports + Outdoors Inc. reported fourth-quarter earnings jumped four-fold to come in well above Wall Street’s target as sales momentum continued across numerous categories and apparel rebounded. Academy officials were also optimistic that many trends would continue to boost its 2021 results.

Omega Sports Inc., based in Greensboro, NC, filed a bankruptcy petition in Charlotte, NC with a plan to reorganize around its remaining seven stores. Vendors holding sizeable unsecured claims in the bankruptcy include New Balance, owed $261,110.17; Brooks Sports, $248,424; Under Armour, $225,620; and On Running, $159,318.65.

At its Investor Day event, Nautilus Inc. laid a long-term strategic plan to nearly double sales by 2026 as it looks to take advantage of the dramatic shift toward at home-fitness. Shares of Nautilus, however, remain under pressure due to a weak outlook for margins.

The Top National stories and the Latest headlines across the Active Lifestyle Market for the week of March 22, 2021 covered in the SGB Updates and delivered to your inbox every business day.

SFIA’s 2021 Manufacturers Sales By Category Report shows double-digit solid sales gains across golf, camping, firearms, and fleece, but the fitness equipment category saw the most significant gain boosted by the home-fitness craze.

Shoe Carnival continued to out-perform in its fiscal fourth quarter as the family footwear retailer capitalized on a focused operational and financial performance, an established e-commerce platform and solid experience and talent in the executive ranks, merchant team and store operations during a very difficult year for retail.

Winnebago Industries reported earnings soared in the second quarter ended February 27, and backlogs are running ahead in triple-digits for both its Towable and Motorhome segments. Winnebago told analysts it does not see a slowdown even as other forms of travel slowly reopen to consumers.

Shares of Nike slid $5.68, or about 2 percent, Friday after it reported third-quarter sales missed Wall Street’s target due to port congestion in North America and store closures in the EMEA region—both tied to COVID-19. However, analysts generally believe the underlying demand for Nike’s products remains strong and see top-line momentum resuming in the quarters ahead.

Foot Locker, Bass Pro and REI all landed among the top-ten retailers on CI&T’s Connected Retail Report. Foot Locker stood out for its ‘fun and engaging” website while Bass Pro and REI ranked high for their overall shopping experience.

Nike’s sales in the third quarter ended February 28 came in below Wall Street’s targets as container shortages and port delays impeded the North America wholesale business. However, Nike said demand for its products remains strong and inventory flows are expected to improve, with much of third quarter’s miss expected to be made up in its fourth quarter.

With Americans thirsting to get outdoors during the pandemic, L.L.Bean recorded its best annual sales growth in nearly a decade. Annual net revenue totaling $1.59 billion, a 5 percent increase over 2019, its best showing since 2011.

The Top National stories and the Latest headlines across the Active Lifestyle Market for the week of March 15, 2021 covered in the SGB Updates and delivered to your inbox every business day.