
EXEC: Solo Brands Sees Big Pay-Off at Retail as Q2 Wholesale Jumps
For a company identified by the symbol “DTC” on the NYSE, the conversation for the quarter was interesting as the growth in the wholesale business overshadowed, but did not offset, the decline in its direct-to-consumer business.

EXEC: Titleist Parent Sees Continued Benefit from Golf’s Pandemic Boost
Acushnet Holdings Corp.’s second-quarter results topped analyst estimates as the momentum in Titleist golf balls and golf clubs offset weakness at FootJoy. David Maher, president and CEO, told analysts, “Supporting the company’s first half results, we are enthused by the golf industry’s overall health and stability with participation remaining vibrant even as golfers return to many pre-COVID activities.”

EXEC: Johnson Outdoors Battles Post-Pandemic Slowdown
Johnson Outdoors’ overall profitability benefited from improved pricing in the fiscal third quarter ending June 30, but sales were down 8 percent from a slowdown in the Fishing segment and a continued decline in Camping and Watercraft Recreation. On a call with analysts, Helen Johnson-Leipold, chairman and CEO, said, “We’re seeing consumer demand continue to moderate from the strong pandemic-fueled levels of the past few years.”

EXEC: L.L.Bean Expands Wholesale to Dillard’s, Moosejaw and Select Independents
L.L.Bean is adding Dillard’s and Moosejaw to its roster of U.S. wholesale key accounts, as well as ten independent specialty retailers in the southeastern U.S. The Maine-based retailer also plans to open four stores, with two in Quebec.

EXEC: Nike Opening Chain of Boutique Fitness Studios
The first location will open in West Hollywood, CA this year, with additional openings to follow in Los Angles and across the U.S., according to nikestudios.com

EXEC: Nike Declares Dividend; 22 Percent of Proceeds Go to Knight Family, Foundation
The Nike, Inc. Board of Directors, which is 75 percent controlled by the Knight family, has declared a quarterly cash dividend of 34 cents per share on the company’s outstanding Class A and Class B Common Stock.

EXEC: GoPro Gets Q2 Sales Lift on Lower Prices, Return to Retail Doors
GoPro said it saw an immediate retail sales and GoPro subscription lift in the second quarter as a result of its mid-quarter go-to-market strategy shift that included a return to pre-pandemic pricing and a greater emphasis on retail sales.

EXEC: Adidas Sees North America Struggles Continue
Adidas’ second quarter results included several encouraging signs, including securing an incremental profit of €150 million ($164 mm) from the first drop of leftover Yeezy, significantly improved margins due to better sell-throughs and less discounting, and a return to double-digit growth in China. However, the laggard continues to be North America, where sales on a currency-neutral basis tumbled 16.4 percent in the period.

EXEC: Ruger’s Q2 Sales Up, EPS Down and Some Inventories at Pre-Pandemic Levels
Sturm, Ruger & Company, Inc. reported second-quarter net sales were $142.8 million, compared to net sales of $140.7 million in the year-ago quarter. Diluted earnings were 91 cents per share for Q2, compared to $1.17 per share in the prior-year period.

EXEC: Adidas Says No More Yeezy After Sell-Off Despite Flat Q2, Profit Bump
On Thursday, Adidas raised its earnings outlook for the year, in part because of demand for the company’s remaining stock of its discontinued Yeezy merchandise. The brand was boosted by the margin benefit from reduced inventory levels in the marketplace and China’s continuing recovery.

EXEC: Retail Inventory Woes Impact Q2 Sales at BOA and Primaloft; Marucci and 5.11 See Gains at CODI
Brand aggregator Compass Diversified (CODI) saw first-quarter sales decline 36 percent at BOA and 18 percent at Primaloft as both businesses continued to be impacted by stubbornly elevated inventories in the marketplace. Among CODI’s other active lifestyle brands, revenues grew 35 percent at Marucci Sports and 5 percent at 5.11 while sliding 30 percent at Velocity Outdoor.

EXEC: Boot Barn Ups Full-Year Outlook as Fiscal Q1 Improves and Q2 Off to Strong Start
Fiscal first-quarter net sales increased 4.9 percent to $384 million. The sales performance was said to benefit from new stores opening during the past 12 months, partially offset by a consolidated same-store sales decline of 2.9 percent.

EXEC: Rocky Brands Sees Brand Momentum Build After Tough Start to Q2
Notwithstanding the slow start, at-once orders reportedly improved month-over-month as the quarter progressed and the trend continued into July, providing a good start to the third quarter creating optimism that channel inventories are getting properly aligned with demand.

EXEC: Vans’ and Dickies’ Sharp Q1 Declines Offer Rude Welcome for New VF CEO
Vans has an outsized impact on the fiscal first quarter while The North Face, Timberland, Jansport, and others have more impact in the back half of the year.

EXEC: Columbia Sportswear Axes Outlook on Expectations of Promotional Second Half
On Columbia Sportswear’s Q2 analyst call, Tim Boyle, chairman, president and CEO, said softer sell-through trends in the U.S. due to “cautious consumer behavior” and elevated inventory levels, particularly in footwear, caused the company to slash its guidance for the year.