SGB Executive Sports & Fitness

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: 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: Big 5 Unable to Overcome Slow Start to Summer Selling

Big 5 Sporting Goods Corp. saw its core market in El Segundo, a city in Los Angeles County, CA, where it is headquartered, baking in extreme heat in recent weeks. Still, president and CEO Steve Miller told analysts that cool weather in the early months of the second quarter ended July 2, caused sales to fall below the retailer’s already low target.

EXEC: Sebago Parent BasicNet Sees Net Profit Drop in H1; Royalties Decline

Royalties from commercial and productive licensees declined 6.4 percent to €32.7 million. Direct sales grew versus the same period in 2022 partly due to the contribution of K-Way France S.a.s, acquired in April 2022, but corresponding royalties from the French subsidiary decreased.

EXEC: Skechers Finds Strength Overseas Offset America Wholesale Weakness

Skechers U.S.A., Inc. raised its outlook for the year as broad strength internationally and strength in the U.S. direct-to- channel offset a 25 percent decline in wholesale sales in the U.S. due to overall elevated inventories in the marketplace. CFO John Vandemore said, “We expected the inventory congestion at our domestic wholesale partners to impact us most significantly in the second quarter.”

EXEC: Puma CEO Talks Cautious Approach on U.S. Turnaround

Puma SE delivered second-quarter results that topped analyst targets and said it might be able to raise its outlook for the year should the recent momentum in China, Europe and Latin America continue in the third quarter. However, Arne Freundt, Puma’s CEO, was hesitant to forecast a return to growth in the U.S. market due to weak consumer spending.