EXEC: Sports Direct Inks Retail Agreement to Expand in Australia and New Zealand
Accent Group plans to build a large Sports Direct business in Australia with an initial rollout of at least 50 Sports Direct stores plus online targeted over the first six years.
EXEC: UK-Based Passenger Outdoor Brand Hits Temporary “Pause” in U.S. Market
The action by the UK-based company is said to be both an effort to hit pause due to the issues surrounding the rapidly changing tariff situation in the U.S. and also due to a strategy to focus more on its fast-growing EU business.
UPDATED: NFL and NFLPA Helmet Lab Testing Results by Brand and Model
Notably, the NFL said the lab testing results are supported by recent on-field data — players who wore top-performing helmets had a substantially lower rate of concussions than players wearing lesser-performing helmets.
EXEC: Giant Group March Bike Shipments Turn Negative as Tariffs Hit
March shipments declined 5.3 percent year-over-year to NT$6.75 billion, reducing the year-to-date (first quarter) to a growth of 4.9 percent to NT$16.9 billion.
EXEC: Intersport International Will See Prodigal Son Tom Foley Return as CEO in July 2025
Tom Foley most recently served as CEO at Go Sport where led a chain of stores and a network of international franchises. Foley’s background also includes a stint as general manager for Intersport UK and Ireland, a role he served in for six years until 2017.
EXEC: Where Does Jack Wolfskin Fit in the Anta Sports Outdoor Brand Portfolio?
Anta has hinted about its plans for the Jack Wolfskin brand but won’t develop its positioning in a vacuum. The company has a very good partner, Matthew Jung, Jack Wolfskin’s global president and CEO, who started with the company in early 2022 as GM for China.
EXEC: Fila and Anta Brands Carry a HSD China Retail Growth Trend into First Quarter
Retail sales for the Fila brand in the 2025 first quarter in the China market again increased in the high-single digits year-over-year, consistent with the growth trend in the 2024 fourth quarter.
EXEC: Yue Yuen’s Pou Sheng China Retail Unit Declines Again in March
Yue Yuen’s Pou Sheng China retail business and the YY Sports retail brand posted another down month in March 2025 but the decline did moderate month-over-month from a deep decline in February.
EXEC: Asia FW Factory Growth Moderates in March; Feng Tay Dips
Yue Yuen’s manufacturing business, which boasts Adidas, Merrell, Asics, and many footwear brands as key customers, posted a 3.5 percent increase in March. Feng Tay, a major Nike supplier, returned to negative territory, dipping 1.7 percent year-over-year.
EXEC: Callaway to Sell Jack Wolfskin to Amer Sports’ Chinese Parent
Anta Sports Products, Ltd. is the largest shareholder of Arc’teryx, Wilson and Salomon parent Amer Sports and owns retail stores in China for the Anta brand, Fila, Descente, Kolon Sport, and Amer Sports.
EXEC: Trump Admin Hits “Pause” on Most Higher Tariffs; Bumps China to 125 Percent
U.S. President Donald Trump either reminded the markets that he authored “The Art of the Deal” or awoke Wednesday to the reality that the U.S. bond and stock markets were going to drag down his legacy. Either way, there is broad relief coming.
EXEC: JD Sports Revises Medium Term Plan as Sport Fashion Market Growth Slows
The parent company of the JD, Hibbett, Finish Line, DTLR and Shoe Palace retail brands in the U.S. now expects the sport fashion sector to grow at a slower rate over the medium term and is adapting its plans to capitalize on growth opportunities and the investments already made in infrastructure over the last two years.
EXEC: JD Sports Posts “Broadly Flat” FY 2025 Sales; Sees Comp Sales Lower in FY 2026
The parent of the JD, Hibbett, Finish Line, DTLR and Shoe Palace retail brands in the U.S. reported 5.8 percent organic revenue growth for the 2025 fiscal year ended February 1. Total revenue in fiscal 2026 is expected to grow due to the impact of the acquisitions the company made during fiscal 2025.
EXEC: Oiselle Partners with New Majority Owner; Company Now Women-Owned Again
Margo Cramer, who has primarily been involved in the healthcare and the public sector over her career, but also had experience with Commando and Nike earlier in her career, is the new majority owner.
EXEC: Trump Threatens to Push China Tariffs to 104 Percent Total
At issue was what Trump said was an effort to strike a trade deal with China that would be fair to both sides. China’s latest move on Friday to assess a 34 percent retaliatory tariff apparently lit the fuse as Trump threatened to add another 50 percent to the total tariff.
