RunnerClick Survey Finds Women, Seniors Pacing Marathon Growth
RunnerClick, the online community dedicated to running, has come out with what it describes as the “largest recreational marathon research study,” spanning 39 countries. Among the findings was that the U.S. has the highest proportion of female runners, making it the most gender equal country (45 percent female), followed by Canada (40 percent female). Greece is the worse in terms of female participation with 90 percent male and 10 percent female.
NRF Big Show: Retail’s Transformation On Display
While the trade show floor was packed with many new retail technologies driven by artificial intelligence, the seminars at the NRF Big Show 2019 explored how those digital advances are working their way to retail’s selling floors.
SGB Executive Q&A: NASGW Board Chair & Lipsey’s CEO Laurie Aronson
Laurie Aronson, president and CEO of Baton Rouge, LA-based wholesale firearms distributor Lipsey’s LLC, on January 1 became the first female board chair of the National Association of Sporting Goods Wholesalers (NASGW). She spoke with SGB about what that honor means and her goals for the trade association during the next two years.
Nike And Under Armour Both Earn Stock Upgrades
Cowen on Tuesday raised its rating on Nike to “Outperform” in part because the brand’s strong innovation pipeline and quick-turnaround capabilities are expected to drive margins higher. Goldman Sachs lifted its rating on Under Armour to “Buy” due also to signs of margin improvement near-term along with healthier growth in the long term.
Retail Reports Roundup – January 21
A stack of retail surveys and studies arrived just in time for last week’s NRF Big Show in New York City. Research included the arrival of the “Emerging Male ‘Power Shopper” as well as retail developments with artificial intelligence, mobile apps, smart speakers, fulfillment technologies, personalization, card-not-present fraud and more.
VF Corp.’s Shares Pop On Blowout Q3
With another blockbuster performance for Vans and an acceleration of growth at The North Face, VF Corp scored its best quarter in two years in its third quarter ended December 31 and again raised its full-year guidance. Shares of VF rose $9.08, or 12.4 percent, to $82.34 Friday on the New York Stock Exchange.
Aisle Talk Week Of January 14
Top headlines from the active lifestyle industry you may have missed this week, including Foot Locker making a strategic investment in Pensole Footwear Design Academy.
Shopko Becomes Latest Casualty Of Online Disruption
Shopko, already weighed down by a heavy debt load due to a leveraged buyout, said competition against the national big box chains and consolidation in the pharmacy industry both played a role in its trip to bankruptcy court. But in an affidavit in Nebraska’s bankruptcy court, Russell Steinhorst, CEO, blamed the retailer’s eroding operating performance largely on the dramatic shifts across retailer in recent years to online selling.
ICR Recap: Which Brands Won Over Investors?
The ICR Conference in Orlando, FL, gave brands across the consumer and retail industries a chance to present their current financial profile and plans for 2019 and beyond. Some companies, like Lululemon (whose presentation wasn’t public), have seen values surge post-conference.
Activism Paying Off For Patagonia
At a session the NRF Big Show in New York City, Patagonia’s CEO Rose Marcario said the last decade “has been the best decade for us in terms of our business” even as the company has doubled-down on its commitment to sustainability and taken on risks by becoming more politically active around environmental issues. But she regarded Patagonia’s moves to take on hot-button issues as only “a proportional response to what’s going on.”
Crocs Pivots To Growth Mode After Successful Repositioning
The transformation that Crocs Inc. began a few years ago has included everything from shuttering stores to adjusting its channel strategy to closing its company-owned manufacturing facilities. Those efforts to slash costs have paid off for the Niwot, CO-based footwear maker. After shedding $80 million in SG&A expenses in that timeframe, the company can now focus on the next leg of its journey—growth.
Fanatics Seeking To Expand On Online Marketplaces
At a session at the NRF Big Show in New York City, Michael Rubin, founder and executive chairman of Fanatics, said the company will generate a whopping $2.7 billion to $2.8 billion in revenue in 2019, and also indicated that the company’s next major revenue model will be selling on online marketplaces.
Yeti Executives Unpack Ambitious Growth Strategies
The ambitious financial goals that Yeti Holdings Inc.’s top executives laid out at the ICR Conference in Orlando, FL, center on four growth strategies plus a key supply chain move that will have the company no longer manufacturing in China by the end of the year. President and CEO Matt Reintjes and CFO Paul Carbone on Monday outlined the company’s plans for 2019 in a fireside chat hosted by Baird analyst Peter Benedict.
Dick’s Ed Stack Discusses Purposeful Leadership At NRF Big Show
At a session, “Company Conscience: Leading With Conviction,” at the NRF Big Show in New York City, Ed Stack, chairman and CEO at Dick’s Sporting Goods, discussed the retailer’s efforts to ensure a work/life balance for its employees and the retailer’s commitment to community that’s reflected both in its Sports Matter funding program and controversial decision to change its gun policy.
Fewer Destination Guests, Other Headwinds Taking Toll On Vail Resorts
Good snowfall to start the 2018/19 ski season was a boon for many resorts across the U.S., with plentiful powder and the opening of terrain and lifts often not accessible until January stoking hopes of an epic performance for the industry. All of which made last week’s news from Broomfield, CO-based Vail Resorts Inc. that much more surprising.
