SGB Executive

VF Corp. hosted its 2019 Investor Day Wednesday in Beaver Creek, CO, a couple of hours up I-70 from the company’s new hometown of Denver. There, VF’s chairman, president and CEO, Steve Rendle, outlined for analysts and investors the changes completed and the changes yet to come in VF’s ongoing evolution.

Powered by outsized growth in China and across digital channels as well as gross margin expansion, Nike Inc. earnings in the first quarter climbed 25.2 percent to easily eclipse Wall Street’s targets. Nike officials also provided an upbeat outlook for its fiscal year.

On Nike Inc.’s first-quarter earnings call with analysts, CEO Mark Parker doubled down on the company’s commitment to innovation that he had outlined for investors just a week ago. The self-described “product geek” spent much of the call explaining how innovation should be credited for the company’s outstanding earnings report and also how it will drive the company’s success moving forward.

Vail Resorts Inc. officially expanded its empire Tuesday when the Broomfield, CO-based ski area owner and operator closed on its previously announced $264 million acquisition of Peak Resorts Inc. But what impact will Vail’s latest expansion have on the ski and snowboard industry? SGB takes a look.

Recent sports studies find physical fitness linked to better brain function, team sports possibly helping traumatized kids heal and winning teams providing a short-term self-esteem boost to fans. Other studies explored the risks of sports specialization and concussions for girls.

This month last year at its Investor Day, VF Corp. announced an ambitious sales goal for Vans, one of the “big three” brands in its expansive portfolio along with The North Face and Timberland. What’s in store for the 2019 event, taking place Wednesday in Beaver Creek, CO? SGB looks at how VF has made good on the 2018 Vans announcement and also checks in with analysts on what could happen this time around.

Cindy Feinauer, general manager of the stainless steel bottle brand Purist and custom business leader at Specialized Bicycle Components, spoke with SGB Executive recently about Purist’s progress since launching last year. Although the brand is seeing triple-digit growth over 2018, revenue is only one way the company and Feinauer measure success.

Top headlines from across the active lifestyle industry featured in SGB for the Week of September 16, 2019.

At Nike’s annual meeting for shareholders held Thursday afternoon in Beaverton, OR, Mark Parker, Nike’s CEO, discussed Nike’s elevated women’s push, the brand’s widespread digital investments, whether China’s outsized growth can be maintained, and Nike’s continuing belief in the “power of sport.” But innovation – including scaling past successes and delivering new platforms – was called out as key to the brand’s continued growth.

Speaking Thursday at CL King’s 17th Annual Best Ideas Conference, Bob Dennis, chairman, president and CEO of Genesco Inc., said the continuing momentum at the Journeys chain in part reflects the fact that today’s digital-savvy teenagers still “actually like to go to the store.”

Camber Outdoors has a new executive director. Emily Newman was tapped to lead the nonprofit after the interim ED, Diana Seung, left to join Jack Wolfskin. With a tumultuous start to 2019 in the rear-view mirror yet still cognizant of past missteps, Camber believes it found the right person to lead the organization into this next chapter. Here’s what Camber shared about the news—including why a person of color wasn’t hired.

Apex Global Brands, formerly Cherokee Global Brands, said it added a number of new licenses and product categories to support its brand portfolio that includes Tony Hawk, Hi-Tec and Everyday California in the second quarter while also reducing costs. Revenue guidance for the year, however, was lowered due to softness in U.S. retail and the impact of Brexit.

Surveys from Deloitte and AlixPartners both forecast that holiday spending this year will easily surpass holiday 2018’s results. A strong U.S. job market is expected to offset the threat of an economic slowdown and any fallout from the trade war with China.

As SGB first reported Monday, Diana Seung has been named general manager of Jack Wolfskin’s North America operation, which will be based in Salt Lake City. In this key role for the German-based brand that Callaway Golf Co. bought last year, Seung is charged with spearheading Jack Wolfskin’s lofty ambitions for this market. Here’s what she and the company shared about that endeavor.

Winnebago Industries Inc.’s $344 million acquisition of luxury recreational vehicle maker Newmar Corp., announced earlier this week, was obviously a market-shifting move for the industry. But could it propel the RV manufacturer into other “outdoor lifestyle” categories?