SGB Executive

At Jefferies 2021 Virtual Consumer Conference, Cliff Sifford, vice chairman and CEO at Shoe Carnival, said the off-pricer’s strong recent performance is partly because it didn’t cancel orders in the early stages of the pandemic and was rewarded with orders as inventory became scarce. However, he said those vendor partnerships have been built over time.

In a retail sales study conducted by the NPD Group from August 2020 to February 2021, the past pandemic year saw growth in specific outdoor categories, with golf and cycling in the lead.

From Montgomery, AL, to the Midwest and the Rocky Mountains, artificial whitewater parks are sweeping across the U.S. as communities embrace the economic potential of their local waterways and recognize the recreational and revenue value.

Smith & Wesson Brands Inc. reported its fourth consecutive record-breaking quarter and awarded sizeable annual bonuses to its employees as the firearms giant surpassed $1 billion in sales for the first time in its 169-year history. Sales doubled in the fiscal year ended April 30

The Top National stories and the Latest headlines across the Active Lifestyle Market for the week of June 14, 2021 covered in the SGB Updates and delivered to your inbox every business day. This week’s Athlete is Claire Curzan. A 16-year old from Cary, NC, she will be one of the youngest competitors in this year’s Olympic games.

At CNBC’s Evolve Global Summit, Lauren Hobart, CEO of Dick’s Sporting Goods, said she believes that many consumers have permanently embraced active apparel and outdoor hobbies as a result of the pandemic. However, she also elaborated on the supply chain hurdles the chain faces catching up to that newfound demand.

At the Evercore ISI Consumer & Retail Summit, Academy Sports and Outdoors’ top executives discussed not only the healthier prospects for sales coming out of the pandemic but margins as well.

The Adventure Travel Trade Association surveyed adventure accommodations worldwide between February and April 2021 to learn more about outfitters’ current business status and outlook as the travel industry recovers from the pandemic.

Bombas was the top-ranked U.S. active/casual lifestyle brand in Stifel’s just-launched Sustainable Lifestyle Brands Index. Also making the Top 5 were Patagonia, at number two; The North Face, three; Adidas, four; and Allbirds, five.

At Baird’s 2021 Global Consumer, Technology & Services Conference, Andrew Rees, CEO, Crocs, said steps to continue to increase its relevance in the marketplace and the brand’s democratic positioning are expected to help the business continue to build on its recent blockbuster gains in 2021.

In Clarus Corp.’s first discussion with the investment community since announcing plans to acquire Rhino-Rack, John Walbrecht, Clarus’ president, said the rack system manufacturer has a dominant share in Australia and New Zealand with the major initial opportunity expanding the brand to North America.

The Top National stories and the Latest headlines across the Active Lifestyle Market for the week of June 7, 2021 covered in the SGB Updates and delivered to your inbox every business day. This week’s Athlete is Rocky Brands/Durango Ambassador Athlete Kelsie Chace, Professional Breakaway Roper.

At Baird’s 2021 Global Consumer, Technology & Services Conference, Jason Brooks, CEO and newly-elected chairman at Rocky Brands admitted that the company’s $230 million acquisition of Honeywell’s performance and lifestyle footwear portfolio was “probably not the optimal size” for the first acquisition for his management team. However, he described the acquired brands as “phenomenal” and detailed how they complement Rocky’s existing portfolio.

Profits at Thor Industries Inc. jumped more than six-fold in the third quarter ended April 30 as demand for RVs remains robust at retail and dealer inventory levels remain at historic lows. Bob Martin, CEO, said, “We see the increased interest in the outdoors and RV lifestyle as a fundamental shift in consumer preferences, a shift that began before the pandemic and picked up steam over the last year.”

In an interview with SGB Executive, Steve Lawrence, EVP and chief merchandising officer, Academy Sports + Outdoors, discusses the chain’s first-quarter performance marked by a 38.9 percent same-store gain and a significant hike in its annual outlook. He also digs deep into the expected growth drivers for the rest of the year.