
EXEC: Life Time Shares Hit by Membership Shortfall
Shares of Life Time Group Holdings, Inc. were down about 15 percent in late-afternoon trading Tuesday after reporting adjusted EBITDA exceeded analyst targets, but revenues and membership growth came in below plan. Bahram Akradi, founder, chairman and CEO remains bullish on the high-end fitness center prospects, telling analysts that membership growth is in line with plan.

UPS and Teamsters Reach Five-Year Deal, Averting Strike
UPS and the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, representing about 330,000 UPS employees in the U.S., have reportedly reached a tentative collective bargaining agreement.

Shimano Pares Forecast Again as First Half Sales Trends Worsened
Shimano, Inc. again slightly lowered its outlook for the 2023 full year after reporting earnings declined in the first half on a 13.3 percent revenue decline, accelerating the decrease seen in the first quarter.

EXEC: UPS Strike Could Cost U.S. Economy Billions
A study from the Anderson Economic Group (estimated that a 10-day strike by 340,000 unionized workers at UPS could cost the U.S. economy $7.1 billion, making it the costliest work stoppage in U.S. history.

Adidas Ups Full-Year Guidance After Prelim Q2 Results Show Yeezy Sales Bump
Adidas now expects currency-neutral revenues to decline mid-single-digits in 2023, compared to prior guidance of a high-single-digit decline. Adi now expects to report an operating loss of €450 million in 2023 compared to the previously guided loss of €700 million.

Fenix Outdoor Posts Q2 Sales and Profit Declines on Retail Inventory Issues
Sales declined 6.5 percent in what the company described as a “very challenging” quarter. Fenix is the latest to attribute sales decreases to the over-inventory position of outdoor products at retail and the retailers’ inability to refill their inventory as needed.

Rapala VMC Cutting Jobs, Looking for Cash as H1 Results Disappoint
Rapala VMC reported that current market conditions continue to pose challenges as the de-stocking process at the retail and wholesale levels has persisted for a longer duration than the company initially anticipated.

EXEC: Saucony’s New President Looks to Lean Into Innovation
Saucony, which is celebrating its 125th anniversary in 2023, in June named Rob Griffiths president. Here, Griffiths talked with SGB Executive about the brand’s authenticity and commitment to innovation, opportunities away from the run business, and his message to the run specialty community.

EXEC: Mips AB Sees Q2 Sales Halved on Tough Bike Inventories, Late Season Start
Swedish helmet technology provider Mips AB saw second-quarter revenues cut in half from the year-ago comparable period, led by a continued sharp decline in the company’s Sport and Moto businesses.

EXEC: Nike Hit by Lawsuit Over Pocket Bras
Nike is facing a lawsuit in Boston Federal Court by an inventor who claims the sportswear giant stole her technology for a line of sports bras with pockets. In court papers, SherryWear, LLC said that its founder, Sherry Goff, first pitched her patented Pocket Bra to Nike in 2015.

Thule, Inc.’s Q2 Sales Fall on Continued Cycling Inventory Imbalances
Thule, Inc. reported another challenging quarter as sales fell 15 percent in the Swedish company’s second quarter. The decline was attributed to weak bike-related product sales as retailers focused on reducing inventory levels.

EXEC: Selkirk Sport Co-Founder Talks Capitalizing on Pickleball’s Fast Growth
Brothers Mike and Rob Barnes started Selkirk Sport in Hayden, ID, in 2014, believing that pickleball, once an obscure sport played by seniors and in physical education classes, was about to take off. Rob Barnes, co-founder and co-CEO, talked with SGB Executive about Selkirk’s and the sport of pickleball’s potential growth and its challenges.

EXEC: Giant Group Sales Inch Down in Q2 as June Decline Disappoints
Giant Group reported that consolidated revenue for the second quarter inched down 1.2 percent as sales in June fell in double-digits, erasing a strong start for the period.

EXEC: Anta Sports Sees Retail Sales Accelerate in Q2; Fila Up in High-Teens
Anta brand retail sales increased in high-single-digits in Q2, while Fila brand sales increased in the high teens. The All Other Brands segment posted 70 percent to 75 percent growth in the period.

EXEC: Lululemon Lays Off 100 Employees at Mirror Business
Lululemon confirmed with SGB Media reports that it has laid off 100 employees from Lululemon Studio, which represents its Mirror connected fitness business. In mid-April, reports arrived that Lululemon was working with an advisor to explore the sale of Mirror.