SGB Executive

SGB Executive caught up with Pitt Grewe, Utah’s director of outdoor recreation, to talk about the 7th Annual Outdoor Recreation Summit August 25-26, what attendees can expect and recreation issues affecting the state.

Hibbett Sports Inc. said it expects same-store sales to catapult in excess of 70 percent in the second quarter ended August 1 but cautioned that some of the boosts to the second quarter won’t be recurring in the second half. On a conference call with analysts, Hibbett officials also noted that prospects for the back-to-school selling season remain up in the air as school openings are uncertain.

When Outdoor Retailer hosts its first-ever Outdoor Retailer Online tradeshow July 21-23, 2020, it will usher in a new era of virtuality to a tradeshow landscape that has seen its share of changes over the past few years. Outdoor Retailer Senior VP and Show Director Marisa Nicholson spoke with SGB Executive on the industry’s need to connect face-to-face and the role Outdoor Retailer plays in it.

On an online webinar hosted Thursday by Brooks Running, panelists discussed how the recent surge in running activity seen across the U.S. is being driven by runners seeking stress relief after finding their lives jolted by COVID-19. Fortunately, this new group of “soul runners” is expected to be more dedicated and make running a continuous part of their lives.

The Top National stories and the Latest headlines across the Active Lifestyle Market for the week of July 13, 2020 covered in the SGB Updates — delivered to your inbox every business day.

Japanese researchers have found COVID-19 infection indoors is almost 19 times higher than outdoors. The findings add to a number of recent studies touting the health and safety benefits of getting outdoors as well as challenges staying active amid lockdowns.

Only 53 percent of parents expect their child to resume sports activity at the same or higher amount when current COVID-19 restrictions are removed, according to a new national survey from the Aspen Institute’s Project Play initiative and Utah State University. That’s down from 70 percent in early May from a similar survey by North Carolina State University in partnership with Project Play.

Waco Shoe Company’s Co-Owners, Jeff Antonioli and Brad Granger, talked to SGB Executive about the formation of Waco Shoe Company, the strong growth being seen across Spenco’s footwear range and untapped growth potential for Revitalign, Iron Man, Iron Sport, and soon-to-arrive Waco Shoe brand.Antonioli

A new report from the Capgemini Research Institute, “Consumer Products and Retail: How sustainability is fundamentally changing consumer preferences,” finds that sustainability has risen with consumers with 79 percent changing their purchase preferences based on social responsibility, inclusiveness or environmental impact.

Retail surveys and studies that arrived last week included Ernst & Young identifying five new consumer segments emerging from the coronavirus pandemic. Others explored back-to-school spending, in-store shopping comfort, holiday spending online, and returning merchandise.

During a Barron’s Investing In Tech conversation, Peloton CFO Jill Woodworth discussed the expanding total addressable market for at-home fitness, the brand’s pending move into lower-priced bikes, challenges presented by COVID-19 and its controversial holiday campaign.

The Top National stories and the Latest headlines across the Active Lifestyle Market for the week of July 6, 2020 covered in the SGB Updates — delivered to your inbox every business day. Photo courtesy Reuters © 2013.

Hearing high schools are facing budget cuts ranging from 20 percent to 50 percent, Karissa Niehoff, Executive Director at the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS), said in an Aspen Institute webinar she is “very worried” a wide range of high school sports programs will be eliminated as a result of COVID-19.

Hydro Flask’s sales were down in the first quarter ended May 31, but sales have been rebounding steadily since May as stores have reopened. Officials at Helen of Troy, the brand’s parent, also see heightened interest in outdoor activities due to COVID-19 as a new driver for Hydro Flask’s growth.

Twenty years after being founded as The Travel Hammock, Skokie, IL’s Grand Trunk has been purchased by Utah entrepreneurs Andy Stroman, brothers Bruce and Dale Majors, along with company Co-founder Kevin Kaiser. SGB Executive caught up with Kaiser to find out what’s swinging for their hammock and travel accessories brand.