Skechers Not Worried About Tariffs
Speaking at the 20th Annual B. Riley FBR Institutional Investor Conference, officials at Skechers USA Inc. said they expect no impact from the latest round of tariffs on Chinese goods and feel comfortable that it will be able to make adjustments if another round arrives.
‘New’ VF Corp. Emerging After Transformative Year
VF Corp. just completed the spinoff of its jeans division and is in the process of moving its global headquarters to Denver, CO, from Greensboro, NC, but these are only two of the significant changes at the multibillion-dollar company. After completing “one of the most transformative periods in VF’s 120-year history,” where does it go from here?
Hydro Flask Has ‘Incredible Amount Of White Space’
At Helen of Troy’s Investor Day on Tuesday, company officials talked up the continuing strong potential of Hydro Flask as it expands across categories. Larry Witt, president of the Housewares division, said, “The outdoor space like the home space has a vast number of product categories to play in, and that’s why we see an incredible amount of white space for Hydro Flask.”
Can Amazon Help Kohl’s Get Back On Track?
Kohl’s registered a disappointing first quarter, to say the least, with a high-double-digit net income drop, slight revenue dip and EPS miss. On Tuesday’s earnings call, CEO Michelle Gass told analysts, “We have adjustments underway to get us back on track.” One of those is an expanded return program with Amazon. Will it be enough?
Snipes Takes On U.S. Market
Earlier this year, German-based streetwear retailer Snipes acquired KicksUSA to mark its entry into U.S. retailing. Sven Voth, founder and managing director of Snipes, talks to SGB Executive about the reason for the acquisition and Snipes’ plans for the U.S. market.
How Asics Plans To Regain Its Stride In Run
Following 13 consecutive quarters of declines, Asics returned to growth in North America in the first quarter, led by the Performance Running category’s return to positive growth. In an interview with SGB Executtive, Richard Sullivan, EVP of sales, categories and marketing, Asics North America, discusses the reason Asics returned as title sponsor of the Los Angeles Marathon and its strategies for regaining its leadership positioning in the run category.
Baseball Bat Sales Soar In 2018 After Key Rule Change
A baseball bat rule change that USA Baseball issued in 2015 and which organizations such as Little League International adopted in January of last year helped manufacturers’ sales of bats surge 18.9 percent in 2018, according to recent wholesale data compiled by the Sports & Fitness Industry Association. The SFIA 2019 Manufacturers’ Sales Report showed that the overall sports and fitness products industry grew 2.3 percent in 2018 to $92.3 billion.
Newest Tranche Of Tariffs Has Outdoor, Sporting Goods Industries Seething
This past week brought even more tumult to the deteriorating trade relationship between the U.S. and China, with both countries further digging in their heels by increasing tariffs on a host of new products. But as Washington and Beijing stand their ground in hopes of finding resolution on everything from trade imbalance to intellectual property concerns, consumers are the ones who stand to lose the most as prices on thousands of products are sure to rise.
Aisle Talk Week Of May 13
Top headlines from the active lifestyle industry you may have missed this week, including Frank Hugelmeyer leaving the Recreational Vehicle Industry Association to take over as president of the National Marine Manufacturers Association.
Under Armour And Foot Locker Earn Upgrades
JP Morgan on Friday raised its rating on Under Armour due to increased confidence that its turnaround efforts are gaining traction while B. Riley FBR upgraded Foot Locker because of a healthy product pipeline coming from its primary suppliers, Nike and Adidas.
Nike Makes Some Progress On Diversity
Nike Inc., facing yet another controversy over gender equality involving its endorsed female athletes, found some success in calendar 2018 in its push to improve the representation of female and minority employees in its workforce, according to the company’s first FY18 Impact Report. But Mark Parker, CEO, insisted Nike still has much further to go.
The ‘Tiger Bump’ Is Real … And It’s Spectacular
Tiger Woods’ emotional victory at the Masters Tournament last month gave the sport of golf a huge boost, delivering an undeniable economic shot in the arm for all stakeholders. Tiger’s success—the industry knows well and was reminded of once again—is everyone’s success.
Cause Marketing Platforms Not Breaking Through With Gen Z
Several brands in the active lifestyle space, including Patagonia, Nike and Toms, are being recognized for their purpose-driven ethos and related cause-marketing efforts according to an extensive study from DoSomething.org. But the study still found it’s not easy to break through and create belief among consumers.
Mizuno’s America Region Posts First Annual Profit In Four Years
Aided by a focus on high-margin sales and cost controls, Mizuno Corp’s America region returned to profitability for the first time in four years.
Descente’s Americas Business Dragged Down By Ski Unit And Inov-8 In Fiscal Year
Descente Ltd. said both sales and income at its Europe and Americas segment fell in its year ended March 31 due to “sluggish” growth in Descente Mountain Americas, its North American Skiwear Subsidiary, and the Inov-8 footwear brand.
