EXEC: Study Finds Fitness Clubs Delivering Profitable Growth Post-Pandemic
The Health & Fitness Association (HFA) released its 2025 Fitness Industry Benchmarking Report, which found that U.S. facility operators reported median revenue grew 9.9 percent in 2024, alongside an average EBITDA margin of 23.6 percent, signaling that most clubs, gyms and fitness boutiques are growing while maintaining healthy profitability.
EXEC: SportChek Parent CTC Hit by Data Breach of E-Comm Customer Information DB
The database contained basic personal information for customers who have an e-commerce account with one or more of Canadian Tire, SportChek, Mark’s/L’Équipeur, and Party City.
EXEC: Adidas Says “Not Us” Regarding PSU’s Franklin Firing
Penn State denied a report that Adidas, which is set to replace Nike as the school’s outfitter, was involved in Sunday’s firing of football coach James Franklin, following earlier moves to defend its athletic director against accusations that he acted irresponsibly in negotiating the Adidas deal.
EXEC: Asia Footwear Factories See Moderating Declines in September
Feng Tay Enterprises, one of the longest-tenured producers of Nike footwear, saw Manufacturing revenues dip just 0.9 percent year-over-year in September. Outdoor and athletic footwear maker Yue Yuen factory output declined 3.8 percent y/y for the month.
EXEC: Athletic Brands Still Scoring with Teens
Piper Sandler’s 50th semi-annual Taking Stock with Teens Survey found that Lululemon and Vans are continuing to lose favor, but the majority of athletic brands, including Adidas, New Balance, On, and Asics, are increasing in popularity with teens. Nike’s erosion in teen preference has stabilized, while upstarts including Alo Yoga, Gymshark and Vineyard Vines are building teen followers.
EXEC: Rutabaga Owner Darren Bush Talks Moving On From Retail – But Not Community
Darren Bush, the owner of Rutabaga Paddlesports, surprised the outdoor community with his recent announcement that he plans to shutter his store in Madison, WI, at the close of 2025, although he believes paddling retail can work with top-notch service.
EXEC: Osprey Posts Strong Fiscal Q2 Growth, Partially Offsets Hydro Flask Weakness
Helen of Troy CEO Scott Uzzell, who has only been with the parent of Hydro Flask, Osprey and OXO since last month, provided participants on a conference call with analysts some perspective on challenging external factors for the company’s consumer brands.
EXEC: Analyst Says Lululemon Could Follow Similar Down Trend as Under Armour
Jeffries’ Randy Konik reiterated his “Outperform” rating on Lululemon and further reduced his price target to $120 from $150 as he believes the athleisure retailer could suffer the same fate as Under Armour as fashion shifts, strategic missteps and competition from Alo/Vuori derail the company and cause its vaunted metrics to crash.
EXEC: TAG Conference Highlights on Famous Footwear’s Strong Jordan Launch
Speaking on Wednesday, October 8, at Telsey Advisory Group’s 2025 Global Consumer & Retail Conference, Jay Schmidt, Caleres’ president and CEO, stated that newness and “products with brand heat and highly demanded products” are driving growth across the footwear industry. The trend is exemplified by the Jordan brand quickly becoming a Top 10 seller at Famous Footwear after its launch this year.
EXEC: Jet Set Taps Andrea Westerlind to Land the Luxury Ski Brand in North America
Jet Set was founded in 1969 in St. Moritz, Switzerland. Westerlind was a distributor for the Fjällräven brand in the U.S. from 2009 to 2011, credited with being the first to introduce the brand to the U.S. market.
EXEC: REI to Shutter Three Northeast Stores
REI Co-op has confirmed plans to close its store in Paramus, NJ, in the first quarter of 2026, as well as stores in the SoHo neighborhood of New York City, and the city of Boston, in late 2026.
Vietnam’s Footwear Exports to U.S. Fell 27 percent In September Amid Tariffs
Vietnam’s footwear exports to the U.S. tumbled 27 percent in September to $611 million, marking the steepest decline among all sectors as the impact of U.S. government tariffs increasingly weighs on footwear orders, according to customs data released on Monday, October 6.
Garmin Hit by Strava and Suunto Lawsuits
Garmin, headquartered in Olathe, KS, is facing separate lawsuits from fitness app Strava and Finnish smartwatch company Suunto over patent infringement.
EXEC: Study Finds Padel Ready to Take Off in U.S.
The total U.S. padel market, including clubs, tournaments, equipment, and technology, is projected to reach hundreds of millions of dollars annually within the next five years, with opportunities for court growth to expand 10 times and player base to expand five times, according to The State of Padel in the U.S. Report 2025 from Misitrano Consulting.
EXEC: Jonathan Lantz Discusses La Sportiva’s Ascent in the U.S.
Jonathan Lantz, president of La Sportiva North America since 2007 and with the Italian brand since 1995, spoke with SGB Media about how the brand first established itself in the U.S., as well as climbing, trail, and hiking shoe trends, the current struggles facing the outdoor specialty channel, and his personal outdoor journey.
