SGB Executive

Nike Builds Coalition of the Willing…

Maybe the Bush Administration should enlist the help of Nike to help build a broader U.N. coalition against Iraq.
Nike has rounded up a diverse group of supporters as it goes before the U.S. Supreme Court in its first amendment fight over a California Sup

Russell Consolidates Bike Athletic Ops…

It didn’t take long to start the consolidation of Bike Athletic into the Russell Athletic division of Russell Corporation. RML acquired the venerable sporting goods brand out of bankruptcy in late January and should see full consolidation of operations b

Quiksilver Sets Pace for Record Year…

Quiksilver looks to riding much the same wave as PacSun, but with broader appeal beyond the narrow – but deep — teen segment. The company is growing business across all age groups, genders and continents to establish a truly global lifestyle brand with

Price Deflation Impacts Athletic Shoes…

According to The Monthly Mall Merchandise Index, maintained by the International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC), sales/square foot in mall-based Athletic Footwear stores were $41 in December, a gain of 1.5% versus December LY. Sales for 2002 declined

Pacific Sunwear Takes to the Street…

Pacific Sunwear has certainly turned the tide in the operations area and is now riding a wave of good fortune thanks to strong merchandising, operational efficiencies and aggressive growth. While many other mall retailers continue to suffer from weak com

Genesco Loses Out on Athletic Opp…

An over-reliance on softening some casual brands and the lack of a key athletic footwear component conspired to rob Genesco of the growth opportunity other retailers are experiencing in the mall. With athletic footwear now representing 28% of the Journey

U.S. Team Keeps Fila Dream Alive…

The U.S. Fila team was obviously still driving to the hoop in 2002, even as the European business fell to pieces. Fila Holding posted its first yearly operating profit in recent memory on the backs of a strengthening U.S. business and the conversion of t

Weather Slows Gart Growth…

Gart Sports sees a near-term hit to earnings from its pending merger with The Sports Authority, but the deal may help smooth out the moguls it encountered in its fiscal 2002 fourth quarter sales…

Finish Line Takes Full Advantage of Nike Shift…

The regional managers we spoke with last week were nearly giddy with the way business has grown since the Nike / Foot Locker spat delivered unto The Finish Line key Nike marquee product that until this last quarter resided mainly at its mall competitor’s

Morton Leads Gart to Next Level

Doug Morton fixates on all that's wrong at his company — what will save money, improve service, sell more baseball gloves.

“In retail, you wake up every day and say, 'We have to be better than last year,'” says th

Oakley Tries to Diversify in Weak Economy

Oakley is known for making quality sunglasses for serious athletes. Oakley is also known for making sunglasses with $100-$300 price tags, which has hurt the Foothill Ranch company in this soft economy where consumers are looking to save a buck…

When Does a Good Show Get Too Big???

Lesson One in trying to kill the golden goose trade show – make the show so big that you have to trek all over town and then shoo away all the retailers with bad timing. Blow into a balloon long enough and it will pop!…

Warnaco Back on the Street…

The Warnaco Group Inc., the parent of industry brands Speedo and Authentic Fitness, emerged from Chapter 11 bankruptcy Tuesday as scheduled. The company said it closed on a $275 million exit financing facility in connection with its bankruptcy emergence

LL Bean: Tough Economy, Cut Jobs…

The outdoor brand founded on the basic principle of reacting to the needs of the consumer announced the second-largest round of layoffs in its 91-year history…