Sweet Spot: Golf’s Evolution Striking Right Balance
In this first of a two-part series on the state of the golf industry, SGB looks at the sport’s participation levels and how associations, private companies, grassroots organizations and local course operators are working to ensure golf continues its current rebound by addressing the needs of core players while also attracting the next generation.
Vertical Integration Has Gildan Well-Positioned For Private Label Launch
Speaking at Stifel’s 2018 Cross Sector Insight Conference in Boston, MA, on Monday morning, Gildan Activewear Inc. CFO Rhodri Harries said the company’s strategic advantages will bolster the launch of two private label lines later this year.
Retail Report Roundup – June 11
Studies arrived last week on Amazon’s dominance, identity fraud concerns, voice-assisted shopping skepticism, location-based marketing’s in-store lift, skimpy online return rates and app shopping worries.
Tony Hawk Touts The Business Benefits Of Perseverance
At a Chase seminar in New York City, Tony Hawk described how the perseverance that he leaned on in becoming a skateboard legend has been equally critical to his success as an entrepreneur.
Zumiez Successfully Navigating ‘Channel-Less World’
Zumiez Inc. doesn’t view the world of apparel and footwear retail through the lens of the traditional channels but is instead focusing on how to best accommodate customers no matter when, where or how they shop, according to CEO Rick Brooks,
Aisle Talk Week of June 4
Top headlines from the active lifestyle industry you may have missed this week, including Winnebago acquiring boat manufacturer Chris-Craft.
Camping World To Open RV Dealerships In Gander Outdoors Locations
Speaking at the Baird’s 2018 Global Consumer, Technology & Services Conference, Camping World CEO Marcus Lemonis revealed that Camping World’s plan all along has been to add RV dealerships to the acquired Gander Mountain locations.
Ski Resort ‘Arms Race’ Escalates With Vail’s Latest Move
Vail Resorts Inc.’s acquisition of four ski resorts earlier this week wasn’t a huge deal financially—at least relative to the company’s annual revenue—but adding locales near key U.S. markets could prove to be a monumental, even epic, move for the Colorado-based ski area operator.
Russell Athletic Finds Way Back To Team Uniforms
Russell Athletic, which last September decided to exit the team uniform business, is returning to the category with a new partnership with Augusta Sportswear. In an interview with SGB, Matt Murphy, Russell Athletic VP of marketing, said the company had been looking for the “right partner to represent the brand and the positioning of the brand. So it took a little time.”
CEO: Duluth Pursuing Omnichannel With ‘Strong Conviction’
Duluth Holdings Inc., parent of Duluth Trading Co., is moving into a “true omnichannel environment with strong conviction,” according to CEO Stephanie Pugliese, who outlined the apparel and accessories company’s progress on this pursuit in Tuesday’s earnings call with analysts.
G-III Apparel Blows Past Targets In Q1
Carried by strength across nearly all the company’s collections, G-III Apparel Group Ltd. reported first-quarter earnings that ran well past guidance.
Lids’ Q1 Performance Sends Genesco Stock Tumbling
Weakness at Lids Sports Group and shares of Genesco Inc. tumbling 9 percent Tuesday overshadowed an otherwise decent Q1 performance that saw the parent company of a variety of retail brands beat Wall Street estimates on income and revenue.
Rawlings Gets Assist From MLB In Sale
Seidler Equity Partners partnered with Major League Baseball to acquire Rawlings for $395 million. Said Mike Thompson, EVP of marketing at Rawlings, in an interview with SGB, “Rawlings has always been joined at the hip with Major League Baseball.”
Active Lifestyle Vendors Deliver Robust Q1
A wide majority of vendors in the actve lifestyle space reported first-quarter results that topped Wall Street’s expectations with many raising guidance for the year. Among brands, Vans, Champion, Puma and Callaway Golf stood out with healthy double-digit top-line growth but earnings from Nike, Deckers Outdoor, Columbia Sportswear and Wolverine Worldwide all easily topped Wall Street’s targets.
May M&A Roundup: Shakeup In Firearms, Outdoor Sectors
Although May was a relatively slow month for mergers and acquisitions activity in the outdoor and active lifestyle space, a few eye-opening transactions dominated headlines because they fell outside the scope of traditional deals.
