SGB Executive Sports & Fitness
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.
Columbia Sportswear Launches Project CONNECT Execution Plan
While reporting second-quarter results that were slightly better than expected, Columbia Sportswear announced that it had launched a new transformation plan, entitled Project CONNECT, to adjust to the “accelerating structural change” facing retail.
Aisle Talk, Week Of July 24
Top headlines from the active lifestyle industry you may have missed this week.
Brunswick’s Fitness Segment Sees U.S. Growth Challenged By Changing Gym Routines
Mark Schwabero, Brunswick Corp.’s CEO, stated, “As we assess the current U.S. market we believe that traditional clubs are slowing investments as they evaluate alternatives in response to some changing exercise preferences.”
Adidas Lifts Outlook For Second Time This Year
Revenues are now expected to increase between 17 and 19 percent on a constant currency basis for the year, compared to previous estimates of 12 to 14 percent growth.
Deckers Q1 Boosted by Early Delivery And Healthy Re-Orders
Benefiting from earlier-than-expected shipments and strong reorders for both its Ugg and Hoka One One brands, Deckers Brands reported first-quarter earnings and sales that came in well above targets.
Amer Sports Q2 Impacted by Restructuring, Sales Set To Pick Up In Back Half
Heikki Takala, president and CEO, told analysts Amer saw strong growth in most of its strategic priority areas. These include apparel, up 22 percent; owned retail, up 25 percent overall with same-store sales growth of 7 percent; e-commerce, vaulting 45 percent; and China, up 20 percent.
Puma Rides Women’s Momentum To Robust Q2
On a press conference call, Bjørn Gulden, Puma’s CEO, particularly credited Puma’s success in reestablishing traction in the footwear category and ongoing momentum in women’s. He said, “We still have a lot improve and I don’t celebrate this as a huge success but it’s another step in the right direction.”
Shimano Lowers Full-Year Guidance On Subpar First Half
Blaming weak economies in many regions of the world, Shimano Inc. reported earnings and sales declined in the first half and lowered its earnings guidance for the full year.
Luxottica Sees North America Return To Growth In Q2
On a conference call with analysts, Stefano Grassi, CFO, said the wholesale gains were driven by sales to independent opticians and key accounts that more than offset the weakness of the department store and sports channels.
VF Lifts Outlook On North Face And Vans Momentum
VF Corp. raised its guidance for the year due to stronger-than-expected growth in the second quarter in its Outdoor & Action sports coalition, driven by its Vans and The North Face; as well as above-plan sales across its its D2C channel, led by digital.
Hibbett’s Shares Crash On Profit Warning
Shares of Hibbett Sports Inc. tumbled $6.60, or 33.5 percent, to $13.10 on Monday after the sporting goods chain warned that second-quarter results would arrive far short of expectations.
Skechers’s Q2 Growth Heats Up
Skechers said it continues to be the leading walk, work and casual footwear brand and is second for the categories of all footwear and all casual athletic.
Aisle Talk, Week Of July 17
Top headlines from the active lifestyle industry you may have missed this week.
