SGB Executive Sports & Fitness
EXEC: Delta Apparel Files for Chapter 11 BK Protection; Names Salt Life Stalking-Horse Bidder
The parent of the Soffe, Salt Life and Delta brands has posted losses for seven straight quarters as elevated inventory levels at the mass channel and related destocking efforts have impacted its Delta Direct vertical blank tee platform.
EXEC: Gym King Founder and CEO Buys Out JD Sports Stake in UK Athleisure Retailer
Founder and CEO Jay Parker, via an entity GKH Ventures Ltd. completed the buyout of JD Sports’ stake in The Gym King (Holdings) Ltd., with Parker regaining 100 percent ownership in the business.
EXEC: Wall Street Analysts Downgrade Nike as Competitors Gain Heat
Nike’s move to slash its sales forecast for the year ahead resulted in downgrades from UBS, Stifel, JPMorgan, and Morgan Stanley. Some analysts cited opportunities for Adidas, Lululemon, Hoka, On, and other competitors to gain shelf space as Nike’s overreliance on lifestyle offerings and innovation struggles continue.
EXEC: Nike Shares Plunge on Surprise Sales Warning for Fiscal 2025
Shares of Nike Inc. closed down 20 percent on Friday, June 28, after the company revised its sales forecast to be down in mid-single digits for its fiscal year ended May 31, 2025, including a high-single-digit drop in the first half.
EXEC: Adidas Bribery Investigation Claims First Two China Employees
Adidas reported on June 26 that two Chinese employees had left the company as the German sportswear giant investigates bribery allegations in China.
Under Armour Reaches $434 Million Settlement in Shareholder Lawsuit
Under Armour Inc. agreed to pay $434 million to settle a 2017 lawsuit into claims that the company defrauded shareholders about its revenue growth in order to meet Wall Street forecasts.
EXEC: Nike Hit By Analyst Estimate Cuts Ahead of Earnings Report
Ahead of Nike’s quarterly report next week, several analysts reduced their EPS targets for Nike’s fiscal year ended May 31, 2025, on weaker-than-expected sales in the first half of the current fiscal year and concerns about how quickly investments the company has made in innovations will take hold.
EXEC: Delta Apparel Suspends and Explores Shuttering Honduras Operations
The parent of the Soffe, Delta and Salt Life brands reported in a regulatory filing that it plans to formally suspend its manufacturing operations in Honduras due to ongoing liquidity challenges, impacting approximately 2,413 employees.
EXEC: Nike’s Valuation Dips Again in Kantar’s 2024 Most Valuable Brands Study
Nike retained its No.1 brand position in apparel in Kantar Brand’s “Most Valuable Global Brands Report” for 2024 but its valuation fell for the second year in the row while big gains were marked by Zara, Lululemon, Adidas, Uniqlo, and H&M.
Delta Group President Resigns
Delta Apparel said in a regulatory filing that Matt Miller, president of Delta Group, the company’s largest segment, had submitted his resignation. Miller’s exit follows Delta’s announcement on May 31 that longtime Chairman and CEO Robert Humphreys will resign from his role with the company, effective June 29, at the request of Delta’s independent board directors.
EXEC: Academy Sports Talks Push for Better Footwear Allocations
Steve Lawrence, CEO at Academy Sports, elaborated on the retailer’s efforts to improve access to better product from its footwear vendor partners and secure new brands, including Hoka and On.
EXEC: Academy Sports CEO Remains Bullish on Sales Recovery
Academy Sports and Outdoors missed Wall Street’s earnings expectations for the second straight quarter on lower-than-expected sales but Steve Lawrence, CEO, told analysts he remains confident growth will improve in coming quarters as the chain benefits from a focus on newness and value while capitalizing on key selling occasions over the year.
EXEC: Lululemon Had Busy Q1, Beating Estimates, Buying Mexico Ops, Fixing Product Misses
It wasn’t long ago that the market was ready to write off Lululemon as new challenges befell Nike and LULU had its own issues to address, including the recent departure of Chief Product Officer Sun Choe for a new opportunity to run the Vans brand for VF Corp.
EXEC: Authentic Sells Boardriders Retail Ops in W. Europe; Inks Brand Licenses for Key Cats
Beaumanoir reportedly acquired the retail operations for the Boardriders brands across Western Europe and licensed the rights to manufacture, design and distribute branded products.
EXEC: Outdoor Voices Acquired by Consortium Brand Partners
The athleisure lifestyle brand, founded in 2013 by Tyler Haney, marks CBP’s second acquisition, following its announcement of a majority stake in Reese Witherspoon’s fashion and lifestyle brand, Draper James in September 2023.