The University of Michigan’s preliminary results reported on the overall index of consumer sentiment came in at 78.8 for January, the highest reading since July 2021, compared to 69.7 in December and 64.9 in January 2023.

Salesforce data indicates that online holiday sales reportedly increased 3 percent for the two-month holiday selling period in 2023 after posting flat results in the 2022 period.

The Australia-based parent of the Rebel Sports, BCF outdoor, and Macpac outdoor retail chains reported that sales for the first half of fiscal 2024 increased 3 percent and are expected to reach A$2.02 billion for the period ended December 30.

The broader stock market saw a robust recovery in 2023 but the majority of stocks in the active lifestyle space underperformed, marked by declines by industry bellwethers including Nike, VF Corp. and Columbia Sportswear.

To say that 2023 was a challenging year for the active lifestyle retail market would be an understatement as brands, reps and retailers dealt with a variety of challenges and very few notable instances of positive news.

In this latest installment of the 2024 Look Ahead series, SGB Executive talked with brand leaders and marketers about how their companies plan to address the challenges and opportunities in the market in 2024 and beyond.

Feedback unique to this group versus the broader market was the focus on sustainability, responsible sourcing, new technologies focused on renewable and reusable components and textiles, and the looming impact of new rules governing the use of PFAS and its impact on the market.

SGB Executive reached out to key leaders in the Active Lifestyle space to share their outlook for 2023. This first installment includes a cross-section of insights from Academy Sports + Outdoors, Baird, Fleet Feet, Gore, NSGA, Ortholite, Thermore, RIA, and more.

Fewer major deals were executed across the active lifestyle space in 2023 amid rising interest rates and persistent economic uncertainty but several tuck-ins and smaller to medium-size acquisitions were inked. Still, SGB Media found a few key trends expected to continue into 2024.

Fewer major deals were executed across the active lifestyle space in 2023 amid rising interest rates and persistent economic uncertainty but several tuck-ins and smaller to medium-size acquisitions were inked. Still, SGB Media found a few key trends expected to continue into 2024.

New CEOs at Academy Sports, Adidas, Asics, Gap, Kohl’s, Levi’s, Sportsman’s Warehouse, VF Corp., Vista Outdoor, and Wolverine Worldwide headlined the C-suite moves that transformed leadership across the active lifestyle space in 2023.

As the year closes, SGB Media remembers the active lifestyle industry business leaders who passed in 2023 and once again acknowledges their contributions to the market.

ICSC found that closing a store reduced online sales in the trade area surrounding that store by 11.5 percent. For emerging retailers, there was reportedly less of an impact, as online sales for largely DTC brands that closed a store decreased by 5.2 percent.

According to the analysis of the ICSC’s survey of 850 shoppers, department stores had a 50.6 percent increase in online spending, followed by apparel retailers with an 11.6 percent increase in e-commerce sales.

ICSC quantified the impact of opening or closing physical stores on online sales and retailers’ overall performance. Its latest study, the third installment in ICSC’s research on the halo effect of brick-and-mortar retail on online sales, is said to again prove the power of physical retail by demonstrating that a new store boosts online sales, while a closed store impedes them.