SGB Executive Sports & Fitness
Majestic Deal: A Win For Fanatics And Easton, PA
At a media event held at Majestic’s plant in Easton, PA, Fanatics Owner and Executive Chairman Michael Rubin said he was “incredibly proud of the craftsmanship that goes into a Major League Baseball jersey and that we’re going to continue to have this be a Made in America product.”
VF Looks To Jumpstart Acquisitions
“History has shown and we continue to believe that M&A is our highest and best use of capital,” said Scott Roe CFO and VP, at the company’s annual Investor Day. “And it remains our first priority.”
Aisle Talk, Week Of March 27
Top headlines from the active lifestyle industry you may have missed this week.
Study Shows Slight Increase In Activity Levels Among Americans
“This year’s PAC Report tells two stories, said Tom Cove, Sports & Fitness Industry Association president and CEO. “In a positive sign, more Americans were healthy to an active level and even moderate activity levels increased. On the other hand, the number of inactive Americans remains dangerously and unacceptably high.”
Why Did Lululemon’s Shares Crash?
Total comparable sales on a constant-currency basis in the first quarter are projected to decrease in the low single digits, which would mark Lululemon’s first quarterly same-store sales decline since 2009.
Asics Establishes Boston Base
Said Gene McCarthy, president and CEO, Asics America, in an interview with SGB, “Setting up a global hub in Boston allows us to better align with our strategic initiatives and focus on key areas for growth, including our apparel and digital teams.”
Road Race Finishers Down For Third Straight Year
The 5K distance saw an increase in finishers in 2016, with 8.24 million runners crossing the finish line. However, the 10K, half marathon and “other” distances saw decreases of four percent or greater. The marathon finisher total remained flat.
Yue Yuen Reported 0.5 Percent Sales Growth For 2016
Chairman Lu Chin Chu commented, “We are pleased with the Group’s performance despite the presence of uncertainties and slow global macroeconomic growth. We will continue to seek greater efficiency and provide value added solutions to our brand customers, while balancing the need for sustainable development.”
Aisle Talk, Week Of March 20
Top headlines from the active lifestyle industry you may have missed this week.
Finish Line Shares Crash On Q4 Miss
Said CEO Sam Sato, “Elements of our offering didn’t resonate with our customers. This was true in both, running and basketball, our two largest categories where full price selling fell short of forecast.”
Eastern Outfitters Faces Objections Over Sports Direct Bid
In defending the stalking horse bid, Eastern Outfitter’s lawyers noted that the alternative to accepting Sports Direct’s proposal was a liquidation. Indeed, the retailer said it was “fully prepared” to liquidate ten days before the bankruptcy petition date.
Luke’s Locker Wins Court Approval To Hire Restructuring Officer
Joseph Sullivan Associates (JSA) will help determine the optimal turnaround strategy, including a potential restructuring, refinancing and/or sale of assets.
Perry Ellis Sees Momentum In Golf And Nike Swim
George Feldenkreis, chairman, said the rash of department store closures “is a positive development in the long run, especially in light of the way in which retailers moving these days and the demographic implication of Generation Z, Generation Y versus Generation X.”
Acushnet Q4 Boosted By Robust Golf Club Sales
While the bankruptcy and liquidation of Golfsmith impacted U.S. sales, Acushnet Holdings Corp. still managed to show a modest gain in sales in the fourth quarter while improving profitability.
Nike Grapples With Promotional North American Climate
Said Andy Campion, EVP and CFO, on the company’s third-quarter conference call with analysts, “Digital disruption and other dynamics are resulting in more aggressive promotional activity than we expected 90-days ago. So we are going to remain tight, with respect to the supply that we are putting into the North America market in the short-term.”
