SGB Executive

Transformation Efforts Pay Dividends For Amer Sports In 2018

Amer Sports, which is close to completing its mega-merger with China’s Anta Sports, reported a “solid” fourth quarter with slightly lower earnings but improving sales momentum. The gains were led by its Arc’teryx and Peak Performance apparel brands, strong DTC growth, and accelerated growth in China and the U.S.

Vista Outdoor Cuts Guidance Amid Continued Headwinds

Shares of Vista Outdoor fell $1.58, or 15 percent, to $8.99 on Thursday after the company earlier in the day cut guidance on its third-quarter report of a 20 percent revenue decrease and a $514.6 million loss on a goodwill write-down. The company reported sales of $468 million, shy of Wall Street’s consensus target of $505 million.

Callaway Golf Teeing Up Jack Wolfskin Strategy

Solid performance across Callaway Golf Co.’s core golf business led to impressive revenue growth in 2018, and now the company is banking on a new division—Jack Wolfskin, which Callaway just acquired—to become an integral asset. For the full year of 2018, Callaway’s net sales increased $194 million, or 19 percent, to $1.2 billion, reflecting increases in each of the company’s operating segments and in each reporting region.

Champion Soars Again In Q4

HanesBrands Inc. said its Champion business, excluding the C9 line being phased out at Target, catapulted 50 percent in the fourth quarter, reached $1.36 billion in the full year, and is well on track to hit $2 billion in annual sales by 2022.

Conversation With Adidas Outdoor’s Greg Thomsen

Greg Thomsen, chief outdoor officer, Adidas Outdoor, spoke with SGB about the brand’s big news that it will be moving in house, and operations will shift from Los Angeles, CA, to Adidas headquarters in Portland, OR. Here’s what he shared about the brand’s growth, its future and what’s next for him.

Johnson Outdoors’ Shares Rebound Day After Q1 Miss

Shares of Johnson Outdoors climbed $1.75, or 3 percent, to $61.02 at market close Tuesday despite its previous day report of a first-quarter earnings and revenue miss. The company’s shares had slid after Monday it reported revenue dropped 10.4 percent to $104.4 million in the first quarter ended December 28, missing analysts’ estimates by $12.4 million. EPS of 35 cents missed expectations by 4 cents.

Delta Apparel Sees Double-Digit Growth In Q1

Delta Apparel said robust growth for its Salt Life brand and digital print business, DTG2Go, drove a 12.5 percent climb in sales in the first quarter ended December 29, along with a spike in profitability excluding non-recurring items. Improving sales at Soffe and continued strength in fashion basics in its activewear business also supported the gains.

5 Takeaways From Outdoor Retailer Snow Show

Bolstered by great snowfall across much of the country and upbeat sales numbers across most product categories, the snow sports industry seemed especially buoyant at last week’s Outdoor Retailer Snow Show in Denver, CO, the second since OR bought the event from Snowsports Industries America in 2017. Here are five business takeaways from the show.

Unifi Lowers FY Guidance On Pricing Pressures

Unifi Inc. reported an operating loss in its second quarter ended December 30 and lowered its guidance for its fiscal year. The fibers specialist placed the blame on a spike in raw material costs, suppressed demand in the Americas and a weaker sales mix.

Ugg Powers Deckers Brands To Blowout Holiday Quarter

Tightened segmentation, success reaching men’s, and early cold weather in the U.S. helped drive robust sales for Ugg to help Deckers Brands handily exceed guidance in its holiday quarter. Hoka One One also remained on fire with sales now expected to reach $220 million in its fiscal year.

Aisle Talk Week Of January 28

Top headlines from the active lifestyle industry you may have missed this week, including Moody’e lowering its debt ratings on Academy Sports.

Brunswick Sees Fitness Sales Declining Again In 2019, Commits To Separation

Brunswick Corp. said its Fitness segment, which includes Life Fitness, saw continued sluggish results in the fourth quarter and is now expected to show a mid-single digit percent drop in sales in 2019. But Brunswick officials remain committed to spinning off or selling its fitness brands this year.

SHOT Show Review: Political Headwinds Cloud Future For Firearms Industry

The 41st SHOT Show saw a record number of exhibitors amid signs in recent quarters that the firearms industry may finally be stabilizing. But the industry remains only cautiously optimistic that growth can resume in 2019 with political battles likely to intensify heading into the 2020 presidential election.