SGB Executive Sports & Fitness
Gone…Not Forgotten
Friends who left us in 2018 included Nike’s Sandy Bodecker (above), The North Face’s Ann Krcik and Jason Hairston, founder SITKA and KUIU.
2018 Year In Review: Movers And Shakers Give Industry New Look
The active lifestyle, outdoor and sporting goods industries saw plenty of executive appointments and promotions in 2018, with companies like Nike Inc. and VF Corp. among those that saw the most announcements throughout the year, including G. Scott Uzzell (pictured) being named president and CEO of Nike subsidiary Converse Inc.
2018 Bankruptcy Blotter
Performance Bicycle and Sears led a number of companies that landed in bankruptcy court in 2018 although the case load was lighter than recent years and a major liquidation was avoided for a change. Others major filings included Rockport, Bon-Ton, Walking Company, Remington Outdoor and AcuSport.
2018 Year In Review: Most-Read SGB Executive Stories
SGB Executive covered an array of sporting goods, outdoors and active lifestyle stories in 2018, but clearly some topics resonated with readers more than others. Our list of the 25 most popular SGB Executive stories during the past 12 months ranges from channel upheaval to companies taking a stance on social issues to new executive appointments to brands’ financial success or sluggishness.
2018 Year In Review: M&A Goes Outside The Box
A healthy dose of straightforward mergers and acquisitions occurred in the sporting goods, outdoor and active lifestyle industries in 2018, but a handful of unconventional deals stole the spotlight. Outside-the-box transactions—which garnered much more attention than traditional ones—included a consortium of Chinese investors and a well-known active lifestyle name purchasing Amer Sports (pictured).
Wall Street Reacts: Nike Q219
With better-than-anticipated revenue and gross margins driven by a healthy innovation cycle, an acceleration of growth in North America and continued digital momentum, Nike reported second-quarter earnings and revenues that handily topped Wall Street targets and wowed many analysts. Here’s what some had to say.
Nike North America Bounces Back To Near Double Digit Growth In Q2
Led by a continued resurgence in North America, accelerated growth in China and continued gangbuster digital growth, Nike reported Q2 earnings and sales easily topped Wall Street’s targets and lifted its guidance for the year. Said Andy Campion, CFO, “As we’re beginning to gain greater insight into fiscal year ’20, we’re seeing continued strong demand.”
Aisle Talk Week Of December 17
Top headlines from the active lifestyle industry you may have missed this week, including Thule Group’s announcement of the acquisition of rooftop tent maker Tepui Outdoors Inc. for $9.5 million.
Holiday Reports Point To Merry Retail Haul
With a few days to go, reports continue to arrive indicating the retail industry is heading for record holiday sales. Here, the latest holiday insights around online selling, last-minute procrastinators, returns, BOPIS demand, millennial gifting and more.
SFIA: Experiences Driving Fitness
With health club memberships at an all-time high, increasing by more than 6 percent in the last year alone, opportunity in the fitness industry is looking bright. But it’s largely driven by experiences, according to a webinar covering SFIA’s “2018 Tracking the Fitness Movement Report.”
OIA Webinar: Tariff War Likely Driving Extensive Supply Chain Changes
In a seminar presented by the Outdoor Industry Association (OIA), trade experts at KPMG said the U.S./China tariff war may end but the underlying geo-political issues impacting overall trade won’t any time soon. As a result, a holistic “intelligent supply chain” approach that encompasses both customs and supply chain planning will be required in the future.
Stifel Outlook: Uncertainty Presents Opportunity For Active Lifestyle Brands
In “2019 Outlook: Uncertainty Presents Opportunities,” a note that was sent to investors this week, Jim Duffy of Stifel outlined what he believes are going to be the differentiators for sports and active lifestyle brands in the new year. The newly public Yeti Holdings Inc., for example, was among those forecasted for a strong year based on its new product drivers and digital competency.
Tariff Talk: How Is The Industry Responding?
GoPro last week announced plans to move most of its U.S.-bound camera production out of China by the summer of 2019 to mitigate the potential impact of inclusion on any new tariff lists. With significant uncertainty continuing, here’s an update from a few industry execs from third-quarter conference calls on what they’re planning to do to mitigate the potential tariff impact.
Lids Finds New Turnaround Partner In Fanzz
While ending up with a skimpier price than hoped for, Genesco finally found a buyer for Lids to enable the company to re-focus on its footwear platforms. For its part, Lids hopefully found a new major partner, Fanzz-owner Ames Watson Capital, and minor partner, Fanatics, to help further stabilize the struggling business.
Aisle Talk Week Of December 10
Top headlines from the active lifestyle industry you may have missed this week, including Fanatics marking its first licensing agreement with a university, a 10-year deal with the University of Oregon to license, manufacture and sell its sports gear beginning on January 1, 2020.
