SGB Executive

At Goldman Sachs’ annual retail conference, Gerald Evans, CEO of Hanesbrands, described Champion as a “bit late to the party” as far as participating in the activewear boom over the last decade but is positioned for solid growth in the years ahead.

G-III Apparel Group Ltd. lowered its full-year guidance due to the impact of new tariffs but shares rose strongly as the tariff charge was less than feared.

At Goldman Sachs’ annual retail conference, officials at Dick’s Sporting Goods discussed how stronger partnerships with vendors are helping revive top-line growth and how Dick’s complements their vendor partner’s aggressive DTC-growth efforts. Other topics included the challenges addressing girls playing sports, tariffs and the baseball category’s resurgence.

Camping World Holdings Inc. has put outdoor retail in the proverbial rear-view mirror and set its sights on selling only recreational vehicles and accessories—even as the RV market sputters along. As SGB detailed Tuesday in our August M&A Roundup, Camping World last month sold a pair of outdoor specialty retailers. Now that the company has shed some light on its larger plan, those moves are just a hint of what’s to come.

M&A heated up in the final full month of summer with several market-shifting transactions occurring in the active lifestyle space. August’s biggest moves included Camping World and Accell Group unloading non-core assets and Nike adding to its portfolio.

SGB is back from the third annual Paddlesports Retailer show, held this week in Oklahoma City. We identified six takeaways from the event, including reaction to the format changes, why most paddlesports brands believe this show trumps Outdoor Retailer and the meaning behind one attendee’s description of demo day as “mayhem and awesome.”

Designer Brands Inc. (formerly DSW Inc.) said its second-quarter results were distorted by last year’s mega-acquisition of Camuto Group and DSW’s 2018 relaunch of its VIP rewards program last year. But company officials asserted that DSW’s underlying momentum remains healthy.

American Outdoor Brands, dragged down by prolonged weakness in firearms, reported earnings before charges dropped significantly the first quarter ended July 31. Sales shrunk 10.9 percent to $123.7 million.

After a sluggish start, Tilly’s sales recovered in the latter months of the second quarter and have accelerated with the arrival of back-to-school selling.

Top headlines from the active lifestyle industry you may have missed this week, including Standard & Poor’s Corp. revising its outlook on the debt ratings of Bass Pro Group to stable from positive following Bass Pro’s release of second-quarter and first-half results that were below its expectations.

On Wednesday, Puma opened a 24,000-square foot flagship on New York City’s Fifth Avenue with a host of interactive elements designed to engage today’s tech-savvy youth. SGB talked to Puma’s top management about the store’s innovative features and how the store will help build on the brand’s recent momentum.

The firearms market has proven ripe for Sportsman’s Warehouse Holdings Inc. of late, and the most recent evidence arrived Wednesday when the company reported a 3.3 percent increase in firearms sales and a 5.3 percent increase in firearms and ammunition sales for the second quarter. Now those numbers could grow thanks to both outside and company-directed factors.

Shoe Carnival Inc. reported modest growth in the second quarter but has seen sales accelerate in August. On a conference call with analysts, Cliff Sifford, president and CEO, said back-to-school sales are “progressing nicely” with August sales up 3.5 percent through August 27.

Peloton, the exercise bike maker and interactive fitness provider, on Tuesday filed an S-1 statement with the Securities and Exchange Commission, officially announcing that it plans to raise $500 million in an initial public offering amid significant losses but impressive revenue growth. SGB digs into the IPO’s important facts and figures.

Famous Footwear’s comps grew 1.5 percent in the second quarter, rebounding from a 1 percent decline in the first quarter. Nike’s return to positive growth at the off-price shoe chain played a key role.