SGB Executive Sports & Fitness
Run Specialty Re-Finds Its Stride
With a spurt of innovation, a healthy shake-out of stores, and a number of nimble adjustments to the changing retail landscape, run specialty is back in growth mode, according to participants at last week’s The Running Event in Austin.
Behind The Deal: How Callaway Aced The Jack Wolfskin Acquisition
Anyone who looks beyond the surface of Callaway Golf Co.’s agreement to acquire Jack Wolfskin for $476 million will see that reducing it to the simplistic “golf company buys outdoor brand” doesn’t capture the depth of the deal. The acquisition makes sense on multiple levels for both companies amid the blurring of channels, product lines and even consumer habits.
J.P. Morgan Turns Bullish On Nike’s North American Momentum
J.P. Morgan raised its price target on Nike Inc. to $85 from $81 as the investment firm has grown more convinced that Nike’s momentum in North America is accelerating. Based on its own recent fieldwork, J.P. Morgan raised its North America revenue estimate to 9 percent growth for Nike’s second quarter ended November 30.
Tariff War Far From Over
President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping agreed Saturday to a temporary trade cease-fire to allow time for more negotiations but trade experts are doubtful that 90 days will be enough time to resolve the thorny and complicated issues that divide the two countries.
November M&A Roundup: Big Outdoor Deals Bookend Busy Month
Two large acquisitions in the outdoor space bookended November—Canada Goose bought Baffin to kick off the month and Callaway bought Jack Wolfskin to close it—while a flurry of M&A activity occurred in the days between.
SFIA Seminar: Industry Playing It Safe
On a webinar last week providing an update on the state of the sporting goods industry, Tom Cove, SFIA’s president and CEO, said that many of the industry’s players appear to be fixated on protecting their market share somewhat at the expense of pursuing growth opportunities. While this reflects an industry recovering from a string of bankruptcies, he lamented that the cautious stance may be holding back the industry’s overall growth.
Aisle Talk Week of November 26
Top headlines from the active lifestyle industry you may have missed this week, including analysis from The Running Event (TRE), which shows that the industry is flying high once again after a couple of years of declining sales in the run specialty channel.
Dick’s Top-Line Struggles Continue
Dick’s Sporting Goods Inc. increased its 2018 earnings guidance for a third consecutive quarter as earnings easily beat Wall Street’s targets, thanks to stringent expense controls. Sales, however, came in lower than Wall Street’s targets due to the continued drag from hunt and activity trackers categories, weakness at Under Armour and flat footwear comps.
Hibbett Still Upbeat On Holiday Despite Q3 Miss
Hibbett Sports Inc. slightly lowered its full-year earnings guidance after reporting third-quarter earnings that just missed Wall Street’s targets. But e-commerce continues to outperform and Hibbett officials are hopeful footwear growth will accelerate in th fourth quarter promising offerings from Nike, Adidas and a number of smaller brands. Apparel, helped by the addition of Champion and Fila, is expected to continue to see robust growth.
Black Friday Weekend Momentum Portends Robust Holiday For Retail
Covering the revenue haul on Thanksgiving, Black Friday, Small Business Saturday on through to Cyber Monday, a number of favorable reports arrived proclaiming a healthy start to the 2018 holiday shopping season for retail. Although online appears to again be seeing over-sized gains with a boost from mobile purchases, brick & mortar traffic also appears to be recovering or at least stabilizing.
Foot Locker Bullish On Holiday
Foot Locker Inc. reported third-quarter earnings that topped Wall Street’s targets as greater full-price selling boosted margins. The sneaker chain also gave an upbeat outlook on holiday selling on improving comp growth. The footwear category comped positive for the first time in six quarters.
Athleta’s Momentum Continues
Gap Inc. said its Athleta chain continued to deliver healthy positive cop gains in the third quarter, led a strong performance by its newer girls offerings during the back-to-school season.
North Face Amps Up Engagement And Storytelling In Williamsburg Concept Store
In a walk-through of North Face’s new Protoype concept in Williamsburg, Mark Parker, the brand’s VP of direct to consumer (DTC), said the store showcases North Face’s expansive lifestyle offerings, puts a major focus on community engagement and will serve as a testing lab for future retail ideas. Said Parker, “This is a place where we’re going to play and learn.”
Kohl’s Sees Q3 Comps In Active Segment Jump 10 Percent
The Active segment for Kohl’s, which has grown to represent about 20 percent of the retailer’s mix, saw comps climb 10 percent in the third quarter and Kohl’s officials believes the chain is increasingly being perceived as a go-to place for active apparel. Shares slipped on a weak guidance for the fourth quarter.
Recovery The Theme At NYC Marathon Expo
Products supporting recovery for runners dominated many of the offerings at the recent NYC Marathon Expo but an overall message of recovery for the industry was also heard from attending exhibitors. Said Luke Rowe, SVP at CEP, “The bottom was hit and they’re bouncing back.”
