SGB Executive

The Top National stories and the Latest headlines across the Active Lifestyle Market for the week of October 5, 2020, covered in the SGB Updates and delivered to your inbox every business day.

Nearly 3 out of 10 kids who played a sport prior to the coronavirus pandemic are no longer interested in participating, according to the latest national survey of sports parents commissioned by The Aspen Institute. That figure, (29 percent), captured in September, is up from 18 percent in May and 19 percent in June and underscores the growing challenges that lie ahead in keeping kids at play. 

Hydro Flask returned to growth in Helen of Troy’s second quarter ended August 31 “as more people return to the outdoors” with strong growth online and internationally. Incremental marketing investments are planned for the fiscal second half to support accelerated momentum for the water bottle brand.

Nike and Lululemon were again the big winners in the active lifestyle space in Piper Sandler’s 40th Biannual “Taking Stock With Teens” Fall 2020 Report*. Overall, athletic apparel and athletic footwear continue to gain mindshare among younger consumers according to its findings.

In another blow to the world of outdoor niche publishing, on Oct. 3 A360 Media, owner of Men’s Journal and other mainstream magazines and digital properties, shut down the print and digital products for Bike, Powder, and Surfer magazines, and the print version of Snowboarder magazine.

Academy Sports’ initial public offering was priced on Friday below the projected range and basically flat in its first day of trading. In an interview with SGB Executive, however, Academy’s CEO Ken Hicks said the retailer’s business is on an up-trend, and he’s confident in long-term success.

At the recent 2020 Tennis Industry Forum, executives at the United States Tennis Association (USTA), Tennis Industry Association (TIA) and the National Golf Foundation (NGF) discussed the rare opportunity tennis has to capture many Americans who have embraced the sport over the last few months due to COVID-19. Said Mike Dowse, USTA’s CEO, “Tennis is truly one of the safest sports or activities people can participate in.”

The Top National stories and the Latest headlines across the Active Lifestyle Market for the week of September 28, 2020, covered in the SGB Updates + delivered to your inbox every business day.

Bank of America reinstated coverage of Lululemon with a “Buy” rating. Wrote analyst Lorraine Hutchinson in a note, “We view LULU as one of the best growth stories in retail and expect the brand to be a winner in a COVID and post-COVID environment.”

Cowen upgraded Canada Goose to “Outperform” from “Market Perform” as analyst Oliver Chen believes the outerwear brand is well-positioned as an outdoor resource amid the pandemic, a leading brand in stores and a likely strong beneficiary of China as it recovers faster than other regions.

While significant progress has been made over the last six months to bring youth sports back safely, the process has been frustrating, according to participants at two sessions at SFIA’s “Back on Track: Insights and Strategies” virtual conference. Roundtable participants included executives from The National Federation of State High School Associations, NFL, Good Sports, and Augusta Sportswear.

Everyone knows that bikes have been going gangbusters at retail this year. But what other surprises have been selling well at retail this year, leaving shelves high and dry, cash registers ringing and store managers scrambling for inventory? To find out, we queried outdoor retailers across the country to see what outdoor products COVID-19 helped sell this season. The answers might surprise you.

A survey of small- to medium-sized retailers commissioned by PayPal found that 20 percent of respondents felt that their future depended on sales generated from this year’s holiday selling season. Other surveys explored how retailers are preparing for the potential of a second wave of the coronavirus, rent relief, an early holiday selling season, and their frustrations with e-commerce.

Remington Outdoor will be broken up and sold after a multiday bankruptcy auction with Vista Outdoor, Sierra Bullets, Sturm Ruger and Sportsman’s Warehouse among the successful bidders.

Vail Resorts reported a 68 percent decline in revenue in the fiscal fourth quarter ended July 31 as its resorts were closed for much of the quarter. On a positive side, skiers are buying the company’s Epic Pass for the coming season, offering some hope that locals will help salvage the upcoming ski season.