SGB Executive Sports & Fitness
SGB Exec Q&A: Decathlon USA’s COO Sophie O’Kelly De Gallagh
Sophie O’Kelly de Gallagh, COO of Decathlon USA, talked to SGB about Decathlon’s return to U.S.retailing with the company’s “lab” store in San Francisco, the retailer’s unique vertically-integrated model and expansion plans.
Aisle Talk Week of August 27
Top headlines from the active lifestyle industry you may have missed this week, including Black Diamond Equipment Ltd. sending Walmart a cease and desist notice in response to the launch of a new outdoor website on Walmart.com curated by Moosejaw.
Callaway And Jack Nicklaus Shine For Perry Ellis In Q2
Perry Ellis International Inc. saw strong growth in Callaway and Jack Nicklaus golf apparel in the second quarter. Nike Swim is seeing momentum in Europr. A calendar shift and the liquidation of Bon Ton Stores, however, caused a modest sales decline overall in the period. Profits were flat but topped Wall Street’s targets.
Dick’s Blames Q2 Top-Line Shortfall On Under Armour
Dick’s Sporting Goods reported earnings that easily topped Wall Street’s targets but sales came in well below as weakness from Under Armour continued to place a drag on sales. On a conference call with analysts, Ed Stack, CEO, said the company is “repositioning” its Under Armour business, including gaining more exclusives from the brand while finding other product to fill traditional Under Armour space.
Superfeet: Taking Shape To New Realms
Superfeet has grown more than 40 percent in the last five years, moved into footwear and 3D-printing, become 100-percent employee owned and now has a new mission statement. John Rauvola, Superfeet’s CEO, discusses the new mission, emerging opportunities in new and old areas, and the company’s unique culture.
Canaccord Genuity Downgrades Hibbett On Q2 Miss
Canaccord Genuity on Monday downgraded shares of Hibbett Sports following the retailer’s wide miss of second-quarter estimates due to sluggish sales and rising operating costs.
Hibbett Sports Shares Tumble 30 Percent After Q2 Miss
Shares of Hibbett Sports Inc. plummeted $8.88, or 30.2 percent, to $20.53 Friday after the company earlier in the day announced a second-quarter loss—Wall Street had expected a profit—and lowered guidance for the rest of 2018.
Foot Locker Not Yet Feeling Nike’s Resurgence
Shares of Foot Locker Inc. fell $4.88, or 9.2 percent, to $48.32 Friday after the sneaker leader reported second-quarter comps that came in slightly below Wall Street’s expectations. Foot Locker officials also continue to expect meager gains in the back-half of the year despite the hype around Nike’s return to growth in North America.
Aisle Talk Week of August 20
Top headlines from the active lifestyle industry you may have missed this week, including 5.11 opening a new store in Reno, NV, as part of a nationwide brick-and-mortar retail expansion.
Athleta’s Momentum Continues In Q2
While the athleisure chain saw some softness in swim, Athleta again churned out strong results in the second quarter for Gap Inc. Art Peck, Gap Inc.’s president and CEO, on a conference call with analysts, said Athleta “delivered another market share gaining quarter and is progressing well against our billion dollar sales objective.”
Nike And Vans Gain In Stifel’s BTS Survey
According to Stifel’s annual back-to-school athletic footwear survey, retail checks are underscoring Nike’s resurgence in the North American footwear market and Vans continued brand heat. Adidas lost some momentum off its recent hot streak.
Under Armour’s Collaboration with “The Rock” Tops List Of Best-Matched Celebrity Endorsements
Wrestler-turned-actor Dwayne Johnson’s endorsement deal with Under Armour earned top ranking among best-matched celebrity-brand partnerships in the fashion and retail sectors, according to a study from Spotted. Also ranking high was Crocs’ partnership with Drew Barrymore, Under Armour and Steph Curry, Reebok and Gal Gadot, Adidas and Lionel Messi, Asics and Novak Djokovic and Marmot and Nick Offerman.
SGB Executive Q&A: Progression Brands Group’s Ian Widmer
Ian Widmer, the founder of Progression Brands Group (PBG) talked to SGB about his company’s unique hybrid equity/management investment structure, the boutique’s investment criteria and the opportunities and challenges facing emering brands in today’s marketplace.
Analyst Sees Nike Taking Share From Adidas And Others
Susquehanna Financial analyst Sam Poser raised his rating and price target on Nike Inc. as channel checks show that the brand is gaining share from Adidas and others at athletic specialty retailers such as Foot Locker, Finish Line and Hibbett, and is also gaining share within the family footwear channel. Piper Jaffray also upgraded the stock.
Retail Reports Roundup
Studies arrived last week on consumers placing a higher priority on newness, online cart abandonment challenges, digital marketing’s effectiveness, strapped consumers and stores associate bonds helping deter shoplifting.
