SGB Executive

Speaking at Morgan Stanley’s Virtual Global Consumer & Retail Conference, Shoe Carnival officials elaborated on plans to start ramping up expansion efforts in 2021 after closing a number of underperforming locations over the last three years that reduced its store count from 417 to 383 currently.

Sportsman’s Warehouse Holdings reported sales jumped 59.1 percent in the third quarter to far outpace Wall Street’s targets as the hunt & fish chain was challenged keeping up with hot demand for hunt, fish and camping products. Said Jon Barker, CEO, “We worked closely with our vendors and provided our customers with inventory levels that we believe were unmatched by our direct competitors.”

At Morgan Stanley’s Virtual Global Consumer & Retail Conference on Wednesday morning, Lauren Hobart, president at Dick’s Sporting Goods, expressed confidence that strength in core categories, access to new customers and a potential rebound in team sports will contribute to ongoing sales momentum in 2021.

The latest buzzword, the Norwegian word Friluftsliv (pronounced free-loofts-livis), is a Scandinavian concept embracing outdoor adventures no matter your age in all weather. SGB Executive caught up with outdoor eCommerce brand Backcountry.com to see what’s trending this season and what consumers are buying

Online sales again saw record growth on Black Friday while in-store traffic tumbled by half in an expected subdued start to the traditional holiday season.

Tributes poured across social media from former co-workers, footwear partners, tech investors and political pundits following the shocking death of Tony Hsieh, Zappos’ visionary, at the age of 42.

Athleta delivered 35 percent sales growth in the third quarter, with September reaching the highest sales comp in the history of the brand. Said Sonia Syngal, CEO, Gap Inc., “Athleta is our fastest growing and most profitable brand.”

Shares of Dick’s Sporting Goods barely budged on Tuesday despite the retailer reporting third-quarter results that nearly doubled Wall Street’s targets on accelerating same-store growth and also announcing that Lauren Hobart would be succeeding long-time CEO Ed Stack. Wall Street was nonetheless impressed by the performance with some gaining more confidence in Dick’s growth prospects for 2021.

Dick’s Sporting Goods reported the best quarterly store comp in its history as a public company as home fitness and outdoor activities continue to be embraced during the pandemic. However, the performance was overshadowed by the announcement that Ed Stack, CEO since 1984, will soon be succeeded by Lauren Hobart, the retailer’s president.

With resort restrictions leading more consumers to venture into the backcountry this winter, never has avalanche education, awareness and preparedness been more important. As for gear, this could mean burgeoning sales for the avalanche category including beacons, probes and shovels. SGB Executive interviewed several vendors who occupy the avalanche beacon space and who have introduced new products to bolster retail sales and customer safety.

With growth returning in every business unit in the September quarter, Delta Apparel reported year-over-year sales growth of 8.1 percent and a 70 percent improvement in operating profit in the fiscal fourth quarter ended October 3. Highlights include nearly 30 percent growth in its digital print business, DTG2Go, and a 12 percent climb at Salt Life.

Hibbett Sports Inc. reported third-quarter earnings skyrocketed more than four-fold on a 21.2 percent same-store gain. Highlights of the quarter included overall apparel comps climbing in the mid-thirties, overall footwear comp gains in the low-twenties, and a women’s comps across footwear and apparel leaping in the low-fifties.

Caleres, Inc. saw Famous Footwear and the Caleres Brand Portfolio both outpace expectations in the fiscal third quarter ended October 31 even as revenues declined for each segment.