SGB Executive

John Walbrecht, president of Clarus Corp. and its flagship brand Black Diamond (BD), said the Salt Lake City, UT-based company could be adding another asset to its portfolio that also includes Sierra Bullets, Pieps and SKINourishment. His comments came after a strong Q4 led by double-digit growth at Black Diamond.

Dick’s Sporting Goods reported earnings in the fourth-quarter that again topped Wall Street’s targets as same-store sales jumped 5.3 percent. Plans for 2020 included big investments in golf and soccer categories as well as women’s overall. But all the attention went to the retailer’s decision to remove the hunt category from another 440 stores.

Vail Resorts on Monday withdrew its fiscal 2020 guidance because it’s not yet sure how badly the coronavirus outbreak will sag its financial performance. The company plans to provide an update next week, but right now Vail plans to keep all its resorts open as scheduled, according to CEO Rob Katz, who addressed this issue and others on the fiscal second-quarter earnings call.

On Sunday, Eric Artz, REI’s president and CEO, became the latest retailer to try to reassure customers it’s safe to shop amid the coronavirus outbreak. A number of sporting and other events have already been canceled due to concerns.

Bjorn Fjellstad, managing director of the Norwegian apparel and protective gear maker Sweet Protection, is working to build momentum across the globe but especially in the U.S., which represents the brand’s biggest growth opportunity. He spoke with SGB Executive about Sweet Protection’s sharpened focus on this market, including the launch of a new category.

Hyperice’s merger with NormaTec is expected to help both companies accelerate their growth. But NormaTec’s CEO Gilad Jacobs tells SGB Executive that the bigger impact will be helping drive both companies’ shared goal of bringing recovery solutions to everyday people.

The fiscal third quarter brought significant change to American Outdoor Brands Corp. (AOBC), whose portfolio includes the iconic firearms maker Smith & Wesson plus several brands in the sportsman’s and outdoor gear categories. Despite some stumbles in Q3, look for AOBC’s post-spinoff companies to prosper.

Top headlines from across the active lifestyle industry featured in SGB during the week of March 2, 2020.

The sporting goods industry showed some resilience in 2019. SFIA’s 2020 Manufacturers’ Sales Reports showed overall U.S. sports and fitness products industry revenues grew 3.9 percent in 2019, accelerating from 2.3 percent growth in 2018. Stand-out categories include athleisure, coolers, water bottles, tents, running footwear and exercise bikes.

Four of the five big department stores—J.C. Penney Co., Macy’s Inc., The TJX Cos. Inc. and Kohl’s Corp.—beat Wall Street’s earnings and revenue estimates during the fourth quarter ended February 1. Only Dillard’s Inc. fell shy of analysts’ projections for the period, which included a shortened Holiday Season due to a later-than-normal Thanksgiving and Black Friday.

UBS reduced its price target on Nike to $123 down from $136 due to the coronavirus. However, the investment firm said Nike still has an “Exceptional Long-Term Story” and maintained its “Buy” rating due to strong fundamentals.

Fox Factory Holding Corp. shares were up in the mid-single digits Wednesday morning after reporting an earnings and revenue beat for the fourth quarter driven by strength across all categories, including the company’s Specialty Sports Group. That segment includes Fox Factory’s bike component brands—Fox, Marzocchi, Easton cycling and RaceFace.

Kohl’s Inc.’s 2019 results missed expectations due to weakness in home and women’s as well as margin pressures. Traffic and new customer acquisition, however, grew in the second half of the year. Moreover, the active category saw momentum throughout the year and the chain plans to build on that in 2020.

The coronavirus, or COVID-19, is wreaking havoc across the global supply chain. SGB Executive’s latest report looks at the outbreak’s economic impact on the active lifestyle marketplace, including how companies, consumers and even trade show operators are reacting.

Velofix has become the largest fleet of mobile bike shops in North America with more than 125 franchise partners in Canada and across the U.S. and plans to accelerate that growth with fresh funding and the introduction of corporate-owned vans. Chris Guillemet, CEO and co-founder, talk to SGB Executive about Velofix’s disruptive business model.