SGB Executive

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.

NPD presented its 2020/21 snow season year in review to the ski industry this week. Hosted by its sports industry analyst Dirk Sorenson and outdoor industry analyst Laura Hills, the presentation included market dynamics that shaped the 2020/21 snow season, dove into COVID-19 and the impact from social distancing mandates, category trends, categories hardest-hit, and […]

A new category is fueling the world of cycling, and it doesn’t have to do with increased participation from the pandemic. It’s the category of gravel, or cross, riding—a mix between mountain biking and road riding that takes place on long, meandering dirt roads. The reason behind the boom is that riders can ride without fear […]

Vail Resorts Inc. wrapped up the 2020/21 North American ski season by reporting steadily improving visitation rates for the third quarter ended April 30 and healthy season pass sales so far for the upcoming 2021/22 North American ski season.

Academy Sports + Outdoors significantly lifted its sales and earnings guidance for 2021 after seeing the strong demand for many of its categories during the pandemic only accelerate further in the first quarter of 2021. Ken Hicks, chairman, president and CEO, said, “Our customers are coming back more often and shopping more areas of the store. Sports and outdoors remain a meaningful part of their lives.”

Steve O’Meara, owner, Kokatat, which this year celebrates 50 years of being Made in the USA, sat down with SGB Executive to talk about the brand’s humble beginnings and its early rise to the national spotlight as a premium paddlesports brand.

According to Kampgrounds of America’s (KOA) annual North American Camping Report, the proportion of first-time campers across the U.S. grew five-fold compared to 2019. COVID-19 proved a key driver behind the influx of many camping attributes, including the 10.1 million households who camped for the first-time in 2020.