SGB Executive

Riding strong outdoor participation trends across its Shooting Sports and Outdoor Products segments, Vista Outdoor reported sales in the third quarter ended December 27 rose 35 percent and predicted sales in the current quarter would climb about 22 percent.

While the COVID-19 pandemic had a devastating impact on the racing industry, most runners are itching to get back to racing in person again this year, found Running USA’s 2020 Global Runner Survey. Survey analyst Ashlyn Modlin hosted a webinar providing optimism about a healthy return to racing events.

The glove and mitten category deserves a warm high five from retailers this year for innovation, as manufacturers fine-tune materials, designs and more to keep consumers comfortable. The following is SGB Media’s roundup of gloves and mitts from a handful of active outdoor manufacturers you will find on retailers’ shelves this season.

Golf rounds soared 13.9 percent and equipment sales 10.1 percent in 2020, according to Golf Datatech. The outsized growth comes as golf has been perceived as a near-ideal socially distant activity during the pandemic. SGB Executive talked to John Krzynowek, partner, Golf Datatech, about golf’s strong bounceback from the lockdowns that arrived in March 2020, the performance of major categories and how the sport may continue to benefit in the years ahead. 

At a webinar hosted by Coresight Research, Joe Preston, CEO, New Balance, said his company’s sales were down 17 percent in 2020 due to fallout from the pandemic. However, he believes steps taken to enhance digital execution and improve speed-to-market capabilities has set the path for significant growth in the years ahead.

Olin Corp. said Winchester delivered the best quarterly performance in its 155-year history in the fourth quarter ended December 31 due to outsized demand for ammunition, with even better quarters expected throughout 2021. Said Scott Sutton, Olin’s CEO, on a conference call with analysts, “We expect that elevated shooting sport participation is here to stay.”

Capitalizing on the year’s COVID-19-fueled surge in bike sales, in January, Kitzuma Cycling Logistics debuted a new model for shipping bikes in the industry. SGB Executive caught up with COO Chris Cosgrove for the skinny on its step-saving cycling business model.

The Top National stories and the Latest headlines across the Active Lifestyle Market for the week of January 25, 2021 covered in the SGB Updates and delivered to your inbox every business day.

Shares of VF Corp. fell $5.98, or 7 percent, to $85.13 on Wednesday after the company reported third-quarter results, apparently due to growth concerns at Vans. Analysts, however, were generally upbeat on the report given that VF was able to raise guidance for the full fiscal year despite the impact of the return of store closures that particularly impacted Vans.

After being acquired by Kohlberg & Co in 2017, K2 Sports tapped John Colonna as its new president. SGB Executive reached out to the avid snowboarder to find out how K2’s brands have adjusted to the pandemic and what’s coming down the pipeline.

VF Corp. reported sales dropped 5.8 percent in its fiscal third quarter ended December 26 and lowered its full-year revenue outlook on Vans. However, the company raised its outlook for The North Face, lifted its overall earnings and sales guidance for the year and predicted a return to positive growth in the current fourth quarter.

During a keynote session at the virtual NRF Big Show, Doug Mack, CEO and Director, Fanatics discussed how the agility provided by Fanatics’ vertical-commerce (v-commerce) model helped the company make fast adjustments during the pandemic to deliver record sales and profits in 2020.

Boot Barn Holdings Inc. reported earnings rose 19.5 percent in the third ended December 26 as same-store sales from physical locations returned to positive territory. January comps grew 17 percent to mark the chain’s sixth consecutive month of sequential improvement.

The backcountry skiing market isn’t the only winter outdoors segment seeing a huge boom this year. COVID-19 and resort restrictions have also fueled a surge in demand for snowshoes, affording consumers another way to enjoy Old Man Winter.

Despite explosive online growth in recent years and its acquisition of the Mirror at-home fitness platform, Celeste Burgoyne, Lululemon’s president, Americas, and global guest innovation, at the virtual NRF Big Show stressed how critical physical stores are to driving the customer experience.