SGB Executive Sports & Fitness
Aisle Talk, Week Of July 31
Top headlines from the active lifestyle industry you may have missed this week.
Callaway Golf Q2 Boosted By Launches
Boosted by a strong response to the launch of its EPIC driver and Chrome Soft golf ball franchises, Callaway Golf Company reported operating earnings in the second quarter more than doubled as sales ran up 24 percent.
Newell Brands’ Play Segment Impacted By Fishing Destocking
Solid growth on Beverages, Coolers and Team Sports was more than offset by a decline in Fishing related to broad retail inventory destocking across specialty and mass retailers and the negative impact of the Gander Mountain bankruptcy.
Dorel Sports Fights Off Top-Line Challenges With Improved Profitability
Dorel Sports, which owns Cannondale, Schwinn and Sugoi, again saw a sharp decline in revenues due to continued challenges in the cycling space and inclement weather, but underlying earnings improved on fatter margins.
How Did Salt Lake’s Last Outdoor Retailer Show Go?
While traffic appeared light, as expected, at last week’s Outdoor Retailer Summer Market, hearts were heavy given the show’s exit from Salt Lake City for the first time in 22 years.
Gildan Activewear’s Q2 Boosted By Margin Gains
Gildan Activewear Inc. said it expects its earnings for the year to now come in at the high end of its guidance range after reporting strong margin improvement drove healthy second-quarter earnings.
Fitbit Readies Smartwatch Holiday Launch
Fitbit logged a steep loss in the second quarter on a sharp sales decline. But shares closed up 77 cents, or 15.2 percent, to $5.84 on Thursday as results came in better-than-expected and officials indicated that its first smartwatch would be arriving in time for holiday selling.
Garmin Outdoor Segment Growth Takes Off
Garmin’s Outdoor segment saw sales catapult 46.3 percent in the second quarter, to $194.8 million. The gains were driven by strong demand for its fēnix 5 watch series.
Champion’s Sales Expand 7 Percent In Q2
Hanesbrands Inc. said sales of Champion grew 7 percent globally in the second quarter, boosted by strength in Europe and online globally. Champion is also expected to grow at a high-single digit rate for the balance of the year.
Delta Apparel’s Manufacturing Realignment Paying Dividends
Delta Apparel Inc. reported another quarter of impressive earnings gains. A realignment of its manufacture structure continues to feed efficiencies and cost savings that’s offsetting weakness in its Soffe and Salt Life brands in traditional sporting goods channels.
Big 5 Q2 Dragged Down By Weakness In Firearms, Camping And Water Sports
Shares of Big 5 Sporting Goods were down 85 cents, or 7.8 percent, to $10.10 on Wednesday after the sporting goods retailer posted second-quarter revenues that fell short of expectations due to weakness in firearms, camping and water sports. Third-quarter earnings are also expected to decline with comps off in the low single digits.
Under Armour Axes 277 Jobs Amid Restructuring
Shares of Under Armour fell $1.88, or 10.4 percent, to $16.23 Tuesday after the company reduced its annual sales and earnings forecast while announcing a restructuring plan that includes the layoff of 277 employees.
Nautilus Q2 Impacted By Ongoing TreadClimber Weakness
Nautilus reported earnings and sales slid in the second quarter and came in short of Wall Street’s targets as continuing weak sales of the TreadClimber within its Direct business offset strength in its Retail segment.
Fanatics’ Raphael Peck Talks League Deals
While the industry’s major players have inked blockbuster licensing deals over the last two years, including Under Armour (MLB), Nike (NBA) and Adidas (NHL), Fanatics has more quietly secured part or all of the licensing rights for the fan piece of the licensing pie. Raphael Peck, president of Fanatics Branded, discusses the new NHL jersey set to launch this September and Fanatics’ ongoing vertical transformation.
Escalade’s Q2 Boosted By Fitness And Basketball Momentum
Boosted by strength in its fitness and basketball product categories that offset margin pressures in archery, Escalade Inc. reported operating earnings in the second quarter rose 11 percent on an 8.1 percent revenue gain.
