SGB Executive

With a blow-out final quarter, Deckers Brands said revenue in its fiscal year ended March 31 exceeded pre-pandemic expectations. Deckers now plans to accelerate investments to scale the company’s supply chain and logistics infrastructure as well as beef up talent as growth opportunities for Hoka One One and Ugg are emerging faster than expected out of the pandemic.

VF Corp. predicted that all four of its big brands—Vans, The North Face, Timberland and Dickies—will not only recover revenue lost during the pandemic but deliver strong growth relative to prior peak levels. On its fiscal fourth-quarter call Steve Rendle, chairman, president and CEO, outlined the path for Vans, the current laggard, to return to double-digit growth.

The Top National stories and the Latest headlines across the Active Lifestyle Market for the week of April 26, 2021 covered in the SGB Updates and delivered to your inbox every business day. This week’s Ambassador Athlete is Shelma Jun, Arc’teryx sponsored Climber and featured in the recently released children’s book from Garmin titled “Women of Adventure: Being Brave in a Big World.”

Kohl’s Inc. hiked its earnings outlook for the year after first-quarter earnings came in well ahead of Wall Street’s targets. Koh’s said its shift last year to amplify its focus on athletic and casual lifestyles continues to gain traction. Nike, Under Armour, Adidas and Champion continued to drive active gains in the quarter with a major Eddie Bauer launch planned for the second half.

Led by athletics and seasonal categories, Shoe Carnival reported first-quarter results that far exceeded Wall Street’s guidance and predicted record earnings for the second quarter. Carl Scibetta, senior EVP, chief merchandising officer, told analysts, “Both men’s and women’s athletic had strong performances with sales driven by the basketball, skate and running categories.”

Addaday is on a roll. The maker of massage and other recovery tools recently announced a number of major hires to capitalize on emerging growth opportunities as it continues to tap accelerated demand for percussion tools, including its BioZoom Edge cordless massager. Here, Hugh Williams, president, discusses the Addaday story, new hires and growth opportunities ahead.

Smaller specialty retailers and manufacturers picked up a few pointers on leveling the playing field against e-commerce and other giants in a mid-May webinar on the State of Retail 2021 presented by Snowsports Industries America.

A global study from Signa Sports United, Europe’s sports commerce platform, and Boston Consulting Group (BCG) predicts tailwinds from COVID-19 will accelerate sports participation rates in the years ahead and drive sports retail revenues at twice the pace of global GDP. The study predicted strong growth prospects for “online category champions” and e-commerce overall.

As COVID-19 cases decline and vaccination rates climb, Fleet Feet is positioned to benefit from the return of races to build on the momentum the sport of running gained over the last year. Joey Pointer, CEO and president, talks about Fleet Feet’s battle plan to manage the pandemic and the outlook for the sport of running and Fleet Feet.

Wedbush on Monday raised its price target on Dick’s Sporting Goods from $85 to $97 on the investment firm’s belief that sales trends have accelerated since the company’s 4Q20 earnings report.

Canadian Tire Corp. Ltd. reported first-quarter sales grew 7.2 percent at its SportChek segment with gains held back by pandemic-related store closures. Same-store sales were up 18.7 percent. Gregory Craig, EVP and CFO, said, “With the early arrival of spring, we saw record sales in cycling, as well as strong demand in fitness-related categories, such as athletic footwear and kid’s apparel.”

The Top National stories and the Latest headlines across the Active Lifestyle Market for the week of April 26, 2021 covered in the SGB Updates and delivered to your inbox every business day. This week’s Ambassador Athlete is Lauren Spaulding
Yeti sponsored athlete, Mother and “breaking records in Hawaiian open-ocean paddling, qualifying for, and competing in the Olympics.

Boosted by triple-digit e-commerce growth, Canada Goose Inc.’s revenues rose 33.7 percent in the fourth quarter ended on March 28. Officials predicted sales would climb 11 percent for the current fiscal year.

Yeti Holdings Inc. sales raised its guidance for earnings and sales for the year after reporting sales catapulted 42 percent in the first quarter ended April 3. Matt Reintjes, Yeti’s president and CEO, on a conference call with analysts. “At the heart of this performance is exceptional demand for the Yeti brand, including momentum across our global digital businesses, and the strength of sell-through at wholesale.”

Life Time, which owns and operates the Unbound Gravel, Leadville Race Series and the Bentonville Big Sugar NWA gravel events, is riding high with the news of another event, recently announcing the hosting of its first Rad Dirt Fest. SGB Executive caught up with marketing director Michelle Duffy for her spin on the new event.