SGB Executive Sports & Fitness
Beyond Product: Industry Trends, Brand Stories Take Center Stage At OR
New product releases tend to garner most of the headlines at trade shows, but at Outdoor Retailer Summer Market, SGB’s editorial team also wanted to discover what’s happening with brands beyond the latest and greatest gear and apparel. Here are some of the stories and industry trends we found and hints of what’s to come.
Arc’teryx Sales, China Growth Boost Amer Sports In Q2
Double-digit improvement with the Arc’teryx brand and a 21 percent sales growth in China were the primary drivers behind Finland-based Amer Sports’ performance in the second quarter.
Aisle Talk Week of July 23
Top headlines from the active lifestyle industry you may have missed this week, including the U.S. House of Representatives approving the Personal Health Investment Today (PHIT) Act, which allows the use of pre-tax savings accounts for physical activity-related expenses.
Deckers Brands Outlook Disappoints
Deckers Brands handily exceeded the company’s guidance in the first quarter with monster gains from Ugg and Hoka One One. But shares slid on Friday as much of the upside was attributed to earlier-than anticipated shipments and the company only slightly lifted EPS guidance for the year.
Under Armour Takes Bigger Restructuring Hit
Under Armour logged a steep second-quarter loss as the company ramped up the company’s restructuring efforts to further clean up the company’s inventories in the marketplace and reduce the company’s cost structure. The moves are designed to build a sounder foundation to support the company’s promised turnaround starting in 2019.
Americas Region, Chunkier Styles Drive Puma’s Q2 Growth
Puma SE said it scrambled to catch up to a fashion shift toward bulkier footwear to enable it to continue its robust top-line momentum. But due to higher marketing expenses to maintain that growth, Puma wasn’t able to lift its profit outlook for the year.
Wall Street Cheers Lululemon’s CEO Hire
Shares of Lululemon Athletica rose slightly on Wednesday as Wall Street analysts unanimously applauded the hiring of Calvin McDonald, the CEO of the Sephora cosmetics chain, as its next CEO.
What’s Behind Brooks Running’s Shop-In-Shop Initiative?
On June 16, Brooks Running announced the company was partnering with 30 run specialty shops in the U.S. and Canada to launch the company’s first shop-in-shop program. SGB Executive reached out to Mike Billish, VP of U.S. sales, to explore the new program.
Oakley Resumes Growth In Luxottica’s Q2
Oakley saw a return to growth in the company’s core sports channel in North America in Luxottica’s second quarter ended June 30, although Sunglass Hut was the strongest performer for the Italian-based eyewear giant.
Experience Counts … Demo Day Kicks Off Outdoor Retailer Summer Market
Outdoor brands took to Denver’s Confluence and Commons parks Sunday afternoon to showcase some of their newest offerings for 2019 and give retailers a chance to paddle SUPs, pedal e-bikes and check out dozens of products from water bottles to energy bars to a stand-to-pee accessory for women.
Aisle Talk Week of July 16
Top headlines from the active lifestyle industry you may have missed this week, including Boa Technology Inc. opening the company’s new environmentally friendly headquarters in Denver, CO.
Sports Direct Burned By Outside Investments
While underlying earnings are benefiting from its “Elevation” efforts to upgrade its stores, Sports Direct reported that its U.S. business, consisting of Bob’s Stores and Eastern Mountain Sports, showed loss in its fiscal year ended April 29 and a number of other investments aren’t paying off.
Adidas Downgraded On Heightened Competition
Wells Fargo Securities downgraded shares of Adidas due to renewed growth in North America at Nike, continuing explosive growth at Vans and some lackluster results from the launch of new Adidas platforms.
SFIA Webinar Stresses Urgency In Applying For Tariff Exclusions
On a webinar Wednesday, David Cohen, an international trade expert with Sandler, Travis & Rosenberg and Bill Sells, SVP government relations & public affairs at the SFIA, discussed the urgency for affected sporting goods companies to seek exclusions to avoid the latest round of tariffs on Chinese imports. The first deadline in the exclusion process is less than 10 days away.
Did Adidas Or Nike Win The World Cup?
Sponsoring the two finalists at the World Cup was a sign to some observers that Nike had outperformed Adidas in driving brand awareness, and likely sales, from summer’s biggest sporting event. But both brands appear to have benefited.
