SGB Executive

The Top National stories and the Latest headlines across the Active Lifestyle Market for the week of January 4, 2021 covered in the SGB Updates and delivered to your inbox every business day.

Helen of Troy said sales of Hydro Flask were “challenged” by a soft back-to-school selling season in the third quarter ended November 30 as most U.S. students were learning remotely outside the classroom. Julien Mininberg, Helen of Troy’s CEO, however, on an investor call highlighted a number of growth drivers for Hydro Flask in the years ahead.

Kicking off this year’s Outdoor Retailer Winter Virtual Tradeshow was a seminar presented by NPD Executive Director and industry analyst Dirk Sorenson examining what’s trending in the outdoor and fitness markets and the opportunities for growth in 2021.

The Editors from SGB Executive present the third and final installment of SGB’s Annual Outlook Survey exploring what leaders in the active lifestyle market are projecting for 2021. Comments from Lids, BSN Sports, NSGA, Saucony, Academy Sports, Asics, The North Face, Keen, Vuori, SFIA, OIA, Gazelle Sports, CEP, TRX, Vasque, Houlihan Lokey and more.

The Editors from SGB Executive present the second installment of SGB’s annual outlook survey exploring what the leaders in the active lifestyle market are projecting for 2021. Comments from Rawlings Sporting Goods, Grassroots Outdoor Alliance, Orvis, Big Agnes, OrderMyGear, Robert W. Baird, Elan USA and more.

Opening its new 69,356-square-foot headquarters in Houston, TX on December 23, Taxa Outdoors is rolling strong with sales of its overland habitat spaces. SGB Executive caught up with Taxa President Divya Brown for insight into the Overland market amidst the pandemic.

The broader stock market tumbled early in 2020 as COVID-19 emerged but saw a faster-than-expected recovery in the back half of the year that carried many stocks in the active lifestyle space to greater heights. Triple-digit share gains in 2020 were scored by Peloton, Vista Outdoor, Smith & Wesson, Big 5 Sporting Goods, Sportsman’s Warehouse, and Escalade.

The Editors from SGB Executive present the first installment of SGB’s Annual Survey that gauges what the leaders in the active lifestyle market are projecting for 2021 with comments from K2 Outdoor, Backcountry Access, Polartec, Marquee Brands/Body Glove, Lowa Boots, SIA, and Oberalp.

Ed Stack’s plans to step down after a 37-year run as CEO of Dick’s Sporting Goods headlined the major C-suite moves that transformed leadership across the active lifestyle industry in 2020.

M&A activity in the active lifestyle space screeched to a halt for a few months following the emergence of COVID-19, but it turned out to be a pause as several major and minor deals were completed in 2020.

Modell’s Sporting Goods, J.C. Penney, Neiman Marcus, and Stage Stores were some of the retailers that landed in bankruptcy court in 2020 amid a wave of store closures forced by the spread of COVID-19 infections in the U.S.

Friends who left us in 2020 included Johnny Mac’s John McArthur, W. L. Gore’s Robert Gore and Zappos’ Tony Hsieh.

SGB Executive reached out to Jack Wlezien, director of communications for Bass Pro Group, to elaborate on changes that may result from Bass Pro’s pending acquisition of Sportsman’s Warehouse and the potential impact on vendors and consumers.

A little over three years after completing its mega-acquisition of Cabela’s, Bass Pro is looking to shake up the Hunt & Fish channel again with its agreement to acquire the smaller Sportsman’s Warehouse chain. The acquisition could provide Bass Pro with a prime opportunity to capitalize on unprecedented demand for the Hunt & Fish categories coming out of the pandemic.