SGB Executive

According to The NPD Group, sales across the snow industry are down 7 percent in the first four months of the snow season through the end of November due to continued weakness in apparel. However, a wide range of equipment and accessory categories continue to produce strong gains as select outdoor activities find favor during the pandemic.

At CES 2021, executives from the NFL, NHL, WNBA, and WWE discussed how technology has helped their organizations reach sports fans during the pandemic and save their playing seasons. Advancements involve online or mobile engagement with fans that are expected to continue post-COVID-19.

SGB Executive talked with Erik Burbank, KEEN’s VP KEEN Effect, about how the pandemic has impacted its business, sustainability commitments, outdoor’s surging appeal, the brand’s KEEN.Bellows Flex technology, expanded lifestyle, and kid’s offerings.

While turning plastic bottles into performance fibers is a well-practiced and planet-friendly manufacturing process, textile manufacturer, SAYA, is converting scraps, overruns and leftover fabric (deadstock) into recycled fibers to pave the way to a greener planet.

The Top National stories and the Latest headlines across the Active Lifestyle Market for the week of January 11, 2021 covered in the SGB Updates and delivered to your inbox every business day.

At the 23rd Annual ICR Conference, Steven Miller, Big 5’s chairman, president and CEO, provided a rare deep dive into the sporting goods chain on the same day it reported a record year as a wide range of outdoor sports and fitness activities have been embraced during the pandemic. Miller said, “Items were selling out as fast as we could unload the truck.”

At the 2021 ICR Conference, officials at Zumiez Inc. expounded on the rollout of its innovative Zumiez Delivery program, which enables store associates to deliver directly to a customers door in select markets around the U.S. Rick Brooks, Zumiez’s CEO, said “What we’re trying to do is always localize our brand experience.”

The motto for Mad River Glen has always been “Ski it if you can!” It might as well be “Own it if you can” as well. Especially this year, where COVID-19 restrictions have seen its ownership shares sell like hotcakes at its newly refurbished base lodge.

At a session held during CES’s first virtual trade show, Lauren Hobart, the president of Dick’s Sporting Goods, (to become President and CEO effective February 1, 2021), discussed her team’s herculean efforts to establish curbside pickup early in the pandemic and how the role of the store has changed. She said, “We went back in March thinking that survival was at risk.”

Genesco Inc. reported same-store sales were down 3 percent in the quarter-to-date period ended December 26, but came in better than expectations due to Journeys’ outperformance. At the 2021 ICR Conference, Mimi Vaughn, Genesco president and CEO, said teen spending continues to hold up well in the face of the pandemic.

Crocs Inc. significantly lifted its 2020 revenue guidance after a robust holiday selling season and predicted growth would sharply accelerate in 2021. At a presentation Monday morning at the 2021 ICR Conference, Andrew Rees, CEO, highlighted sandals, personalization, digital, and China as key growth drivers.

Amid the pandemic, with the world still shutting down and retailers unsure about orders, Los Angeles-based Allied Feather + Down is capping off its biggest growth streak in company history. print. SGB Executive caught up its President, Daniel Uretsky, to see what’s up in the world of down.

The Top National stories and the Latest headlines across the Active Lifestyle Market for the week of January 4, 2021 covered in the SGB Updates and delivered to your inbox every business day.

Helen of Troy said sales of Hydro Flask were “challenged” by a soft back-to-school selling season in the third quarter ended November 30 as most U.S. students were learning remotely outside the classroom. Julien Mininberg, Helen of Troy’s CEO, however, on an investor call highlighted a number of growth drivers for Hydro Flask in the years ahead.