SGB Executive

At the 2023 NRF Big Show, Shawn Wilkinson, e-commerce program manager for personalization at Dick’s Sporting Goods, outlined how the pandemic accelerated the retailer’s push to leverage data to deliver relevant offers and communication to its “athletes,” a word Dick’s uses for its customers.

Baird lowered its stock ratings on Canada Goose, Peloton and VF Corp. as the investment firm noted concerns that an earnings recovery could take longer than investors have signaled.

In a note sent Tuesday to all U.S. employees, Walmart outlined plans to bump its average hourly wage to more than $17.50 (reportedly a range of $14 to $19 per hour). The national minimum hourly wage is $7.25.

In its third-annual study focused on the sporting goods industry, the WFSGI and McKinsey documented the comparatively strong results delivered by the industry over the last two years but warn that potential recessionary conditions could derail progress for industry players in 2023.

Williams Trading lowered its stock rating on VF Corp. to “Sell” due partly to unexpected weakening at The North Face. Lead analyst Sam Poser also reiterated his “Buy” rating and raised his price targets on Deckers Outdoor and Skechers USA.

Newell Brands will lay off 13 percent of its corporate workforce in a major restructuring move. Newell is also consolidating its five operating segments into threes. Jim Pisani will continue as CEO of the company’s Outdoor & Recreation segment.

In a presentation at Sidoti & Co.’s Micro-Cap Conference, David Johnson, CFO and VP at Johnson Outdoors Inc., said the company is still working down elevated inventories but remains hopeful its outdoor enthusiast customer will continue spending despite a potential downturn in 2023.

At Compass Diversified’s Investor Day, Mike Joyce, president and CEO, Primaloft, talked up the potential of the maker of synthetic insulation products to expand across the synthetic marketplace as well as how a number of consumer tailwinds are working in Primaloft’s favor.

At the 2023 NRF Big Show, Steve Hewitt, executive chairman and the former CEO of Gymshark, discussed the challenges the cult U.K. activewear brand faced in establishing a foothold in the U.S. and elevating its “customer proposition.”

In an interview at the 2023 NRF Big Show, Nick Woodhouse, president and chief marketing officer, Authentic Brands Group described Reebok as a “super brand” that is expected to reach $10 billion in retail sales in a few years.

Rvelocity filed an S-1 to raise approximately $10 million through an initial public offering.

Adidas had to deny it appointed a former Cambodian union leader as its new Co-CEO and launched a Derelicte-style collection of apparel pre-worn by factory workers. The Yes Men, an activist group that has a history of creating spoofs to draw attention to how corporations respond to social issues, confirmed it was behind the release and the spoof launch event at Berlin fashion week sent confusion around the fashion world.

At the 2022 NRF Big Show, Roberto Funari, CEO, Alpargatas, the Brazilian parent of Havaianas sandals, and Giorgio Pradi, president, Sunglass Hut North America, said that with the big shift toward digital over the pandemic, stores have become even more important tools to acquire and engage customers.

Speaking at the 2023 ICR Conference, executives from Planet Fitness, Life Time Group and Xponential Fitness indicated that their respective health clubs continue to see healthy recovery post-pandemic while noting stepped-up expansion plans.