Adidas Earns Upgrade On Yeezy Momentum
Wells Fargo raised its rating on Adidas to “Outperform” from “Market Perform” due to the success the brand is finding with its “democratization” of Yeezy, its sub-brand collaboration with Kanye West.
Conversation With Active Brands North America GM Henrik Lumholdt
Henrik Lumholdt, general manager, Active Brands North America—whose portfolio includes Kari Traa, Sweet Protection and Daehlie—spoke with SGB Media at the recent Snow Show about Kari Traa’s auspicious start during the 2015 show, where the sportswear line goes from here and the growth potential the Norwegian company sees for all its brands in North America.
Retail Reports Roundup
Retail studies arrived over the last two weeks on the value of in-person customer service, in-app spending growth, mobile payments, virtual assistants, supply chain digitization and more…
Backcountry Boom: Alpine Touring Business On The Right Track
For the casual onlooker, noticing an increase in skiers taking the uphill track at a resort or seeing an overcrowded parking area near an out-of-bounds ski trail might provide anecdotal evidence that more people want to “earn their turns.” But the data backs up an industry trend that shows no sign of stopping: The backcountry ski business is booming.
Aisle Talk Week Of February 18
Top headlines from the active lifestyle industry you may have missed this week, including Asics North America appointing Kevin McHale as its new director of run specialty sales.
Trade Talks Showing Some Positive Signals
Facing a March 1 deadline before tariffs on some $200 billion in Chinese imports rise, Chinese and U.S. negotiators held high level talks Thursday and Friday in Washington D.C. The discussions come amid signs of progress on resolving some issues in the seven-month trade dispute.
Zion Williamson Injury Puts Spotlight On Nike And College Hoops
A shoe malfunction that injured college basketball’s biggest star in the most-hyped game of the year sent Nike into full damage control mode and drove more debates on the risks of college athletics.
Gildan Activewear Preps For Next Big Private-Label Launch
Emboldened by two successful private-label launches last year, Gildan Activewear Inc. will ramp up that segment of its business as soon as next quarter when the company unveils an underwear line for a high-volume customer that many analysts believe is Walmart.
Garmin Steps Solidly Into Indoor Training Market With Tacx Acquisition
Shares of Garmin Ltd. jumped $12.09, or 17 percent, to $83.06 at market close Wednesday after the company earlier in the day reported fourth-quarter earnings well above Wall Street’s targets, driven in part by 25 percent growth in outdoor. But during the earnings call with analysts, it was Garmin’s recent acquisition of Tacx that caused the most excitement.
Wolverine’s Shares Sink On Cautious Guidance
Wolverine World Wide reported sales came in slightly below Wall Street’s expectations but are expected to accelerate to mid-single digit growth in the back half of 2019 due to an expected turnaround at Saucony and accelerated growth at Merrell and Sperry. EPS guidance for 2019, however, came in below expectations as the company plans to ramp up brand-building efforts this year.
SFIA: Sports Industry Facing Too Many Casual Participants
The annual SFIA Topline Participation Report found more Americans embracing healthy lifestyles in 2018, including notable gains in participation in a number of outdoor and fitness activities. But the study found tackle football participation taking another hit and overall gains being driven by casual rather than core participants.
Alterra CMO Erik Forsell Talks Ikon Pass Success, Industry Consolidation And More
Erik Forsell, Alterra Mountain Co.’s chief marketing officer, spoke with SGB Media at Outdoor Retailer Snow Show about a range of topics, including Ikon Pass usage trends, if Alterra measures itself against Vail Resorts, ongoing resort consolidation and how industry stakeholders can help drive ski/snowboard participation.
SportChek Q4 Boosted By Owned-Brands Push
Canadian Tire Corp reported that its SportChek segment saw same-store sales climb 2.5 percent in the fourth quarter, helped by a strong reception to its owned brands, Ripzone, Helly Hansen and Woods. Said Allan MacDonald, Canadia Tire’s EVP of retail, “I’m pleased that our owned brand strategy has now taken root at Sport Chek where we have to compete with some of the greatest brands in the world.”
Newell Brands Embarking On Final Wave Of Divestitures
Shares of Newell Brands Inc. dropped $4.53, or 20.9 percent, to $17.16 at market close Friday after the company earlier in the day reported a sharp decline in fourth-quarter operating earnings as it absorbed a $157 million impairment charge. Revenues declined 6 percent to $2.3 billion, missing Wall Street’s target by $90 million.
Aisle Talk Week Of February 11
Top headlines from the active lifestyle industry you may have missed this week, including Deanne Buck (pictured) resigning as executive director of Camber Outdoors.
