SGB Executive

Recent retail surveys and studies included Deloitte finding Millennials and Gen Zs remaining resilient in the face of COVID-19. Other surveys explored the rise in consumer boycotts, concerns over store safety protocols, as well as outlooks for small businesses, consumer spending, and online growth.

By Eugene Buchanan With COVID-19 fanning people’s desire to get outdoors close to home, sales are anything but cooling off in the portable cooler category. The segment is, well, on fire, and expected to snowball over the next four years (some analysts predict growth in the billions). To catch up on the craze, SGB Executive […]

Many observers have been saying people are heading to the outdoors to safely recreate amid the pandemic and it’s finally been showing up in recent months in sales figures, officials at NPD Group said at a session at Outdoor Retailer Online. The outdoor community was encouraged not to miss the chance to convert outdoor newcomers into life-long fans.

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.

Skechers Inc. reported a significant loss in the second quarter as store closures due to COVID-19 fed a sharp sales decline. However, both the loss and sales levels were better than analysts expected. Skechers officials also noted that China has returned to growth, and domestic comps were only down single digits in June.

On day two of Outdoor Retailer’s (OR) Online trade show, climate change took center stage at the virtual OIA Industry Lunch: Thriving Planet Emission Reductions or Policy Revisions: Which Is The Outdoor Industry’s Best Opportunity For Climate Impact?

The passage of the Great American Outdoors Act was praised by a wide array of outdoor advocates across the hunt, camp, hike, and fish spaces. The bill, expected to be quickly signed into law by President Donald Trump, promises to address scores of long-neglected maintenance projects at Yellowstone, the Grand Canyon and hundreds of other national parks across the country.

Nike Inc. announced a number of leadership changes as well as job reductions as part of the recent launch of its Consumer Direct Acceleration strategy largely designed to further drive digital engagement and growth. Termination costs in the range of $200 million to $250 million will be taken for the unspecified job cuts.

Bucking the “grass is always greener” assessments from retail doomsayers, those are the take-homes from an SGB Executive’s call with the Grassroots Outdoor Alliance, a national trade association recently reporting its largest one-month growth in membership in its history.

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.