SGB Executive Sports & Fitness

EXEC: Decathlon Creates Independent Investment Entity
An independent entity within the Decathlon Group, Decathlon Pulse is expected to invest in “innovative people and businesses that share its values and commitment.”

EXEC: Anta Sports Sees Fila’s China Retail Sales Growth Slow in Q2
The Fila brand increased in mid-single-digits year-over-year in the second quarter, a moderation from the high-single-digit first quarter trend and the high-teens trend for full year 2023.

EXEC: Giant Group Sees Much Improved Q2 Revenue Trend
Second-quarter revenues were down 5.6 percent to NT$21.17 billion, an improvement from the 20.3 percent sales decline in the first quarter of this year and the 16.0 percent decline in the second quarter of last year.

EXEC: Tom Peddie Returns to Nike as VP of Marketplace Partners
Executive search firm MacGregor Black noted the reappointment on Tuesday morning on LinkedIn, saying that the “move comes as the iconic sports brand looks to enhance its relationships with existing retailers such as Foot Locker.”

EXEC: New Report Sees E-Commerce Growth Rate Contracting 70 Percent by 2029
According to data presented by Stocklytics.com, the annual growth rate in the e-commerce sector is now expected to slow to just 4.6 percent by 2029, or 69.3 percent lower than the forecasted 2024 growth rate.

EXEC: TSG International Inks French Distributor
SDG, based in Soorts-Hossegor, France, is a distributor of bikes, skates scooters and surf gear, representing action sports brands from Paris Trucks to Gibbon Slacklines.

EXEC: Bob’s Stores Commences Going Out of Business Sales
The company said that despite making swift and aggressive changes to its structure and operations, Bob’s Stores was unable to secure the finances needed to maintain operations.

EXEC: Delta Apparel Files for Chapter 11 BK Protection; Names Salt Life Stalking-Horse Bidder
The parent of the Soffe, Salt Life and Delta brands has posted losses for seven straight quarters as elevated inventory levels at the mass channel and related destocking efforts have impacted its Delta Direct vertical blank tee platform.

EXEC: Gym King Founder and CEO Buys Out JD Sports Stake in UK Athleisure Retailer
Founder and CEO Jay Parker, via an entity GKH Ventures Ltd. completed the buyout of JD Sports’ stake in The Gym King (Holdings) Ltd., with Parker regaining 100 percent ownership in the business.

EXEC: Wall Street Analysts Downgrade Nike as Competitors Gain Heat
Nike’s move to slash its sales forecast for the year ahead resulted in downgrades from UBS, Stifel, JPMorgan, and Morgan Stanley. Some analysts cited opportunities for Adidas, Lululemon, Hoka, On, and other competitors to gain shelf space as Nike’s overreliance on lifestyle offerings and innovation struggles continue.

EXEC: Nike Shares Plunge on Surprise Sales Warning for Fiscal 2025
Shares of Nike Inc. closed down 20 percent on Friday, June 28, after the company revised its sales forecast to be down in mid-single digits for its fiscal year ended May 31, 2025, including a high-single-digit drop in the first half.

EXEC: Adidas Bribery Investigation Claims First Two China Employees
Adidas reported on June 26 that two Chinese employees had left the company as the German sportswear giant investigates bribery allegations in China.

Under Armour Reaches $434 Million Settlement in Shareholder Lawsuit
Under Armour Inc. agreed to pay $434 million to settle a 2017 lawsuit into claims that the company defrauded shareholders about its revenue growth in order to meet Wall Street forecasts.

EXEC: Nike Hit By Analyst Estimate Cuts Ahead of Earnings Report
Ahead of Nike’s quarterly report next week, several analysts reduced their EPS targets for Nike’s fiscal year ended May 31, 2025, on weaker-than-expected sales in the first half of the current fiscal year and concerns about how quickly investments the company has made in innovations will take hold.

EXEC: Delta Apparel Suspends and Explores Shuttering Honduras Operations
The parent of the Soffe, Delta and Salt Life brands reported in a regulatory filing that it plans to formally suspend its manufacturing operations in Honduras due to ongoing liquidity challenges, impacting approximately 2,413 employees.