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EXEC: Thule Group Swings to Fourth Quarter Profit Despite Sales Decline
Net sales for the fourth quarter were down 5.6 percent in currency-neutral terms. The company said the expected sales decrease in RV Products, driven by a slower period for the RV industry, had a significant negative impact on the quarter.

EXEC: Under Armour CEO Sees Less Promotional, More Premium Online Presence
UA now expects revenue in North America to be down at a high-single-digit rate versus the previous expectation of a 5 to 7 percent decline, and turning to the International business that is now seen to be down at a high-single-digit rate versus the previous low-double-digit rate increase.

EXEC: VF Execs Outline Progress Against Transformation Plan, Brand and Region Review
The big jobs ahead are based on fixing the overall Americas business and delivering a turnaround in the Vans business. The key objective of the Reinvent program involves cutting costs and building the balance, which is reportedly both well underway.

EXEC: Columbia Cutting 3 to 5 Percent of U.S. HQ Staff on Lowered 2024 Outlook
Bright spots for 2023 included a 27 percent reduction in inventory that helped the company generate over $600 million in operating cash flows for the year, but a sick U.S. market for the Columbia brand and weaker Sorel and Prana performances continue to drag on the business.

EXEC: Vista Outdoor Reaffirms Guidance; Work Toward Split Continues
CFO Andy Keegan said the company expects the separation of its business to jump-start the “compelling vision” for Revelyst, the former Outdoor Products segment, by capitalizing its balance sheet with cash to accelerate its capital allocation strategy.

EY Survey: CEOs are Displaying Newfound Resilience and Confidence
Global CEOs are optimistic about their ability to drive revenue growth and profitability in 2024 despite global economic headwinds, according to the latest EY CEO Outlook Pulse survey.

Winchester Posts Strong Q4 Growth on Surging Ammo Sales
The 23.6 percent increase in sales was due primarily to higher commercial ammunition shipments, higher domestic and international military sales, and sales related to the acquisition of White Flyer, which the company completed in the fourth quarter.

EXEC: January Consumer Confidence Index Highest Since July 2021
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.

Report: Over 17 Percent of Global Holiday Online Sales Influenced by AI in 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.

EXEC: Super Retail Group Ekes Out 1 Percent Comp Growth In Fiscal H1
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.

EXEC: Active Lifestyle Stocks Miss Market Rally in 2023
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.

SGB 2023 Year in Review—Top 25 Most Read Articles
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.

EXEC: 2024 Look Ahead – Retailers and Brands Define Issues and Opportunities
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.

EXEC: Outdoor Active Lifestyle Market Leaders Share 2024 Outlook
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.

EXEC: 2024 Look Ahead with Active Lifestyle Market Leaders
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.