SGB Executive Sportsmans
SGB Executive Q&A: Coast Products CEO David Brands
Coast Products has a rich history. The Portland, OR-based maker of knives, multitools, headlamps, flashlights and other accessories is turning 100 next year and has been family-owned since its founding in 1919. CEO David Brands spoke with SGB about the origins of the company his grandfather created, what’s driving growth and where Coast goes from here.
Relief Over Recast NAFTA Deal
With fears over the arrangement being scrapped entirely, relief arrived after the U.S., and Canada came to a last-minute agreement on a revised trade deal that could replace NAFTA. While the dairy and auto industries will face some changes, the impact on the apparel and footwear sectors appears negligible.
Yeti IPO Shows Revenues Bouncing Back
Yeti is taking the company’s second crack at going public after seeing sales plunge 22 percent in 2017 and witnessing a robust recovery so far this year. The slowdown was caused by over-buying by retailers that led to a glut of inventory in the marketplace as well as a challenging retail marketplace, in part caused by the delay in the merger of Bass Pro and Cabela’s and several retailer bankruptcies.
Aisle Talk Week of September 24
Top headlines from the active lifestyle industry you may have missed this week, including Amazon opening Amazon 4-star, a new physical store where everything for sale is rated four stars and above, is a top seller or is new and trending on Amazon.com.
Retail Reports Roundup
Studies arrived last week including Nike dominating apparel brands’ preferences, mixed views on social commerce, AI benefits to supply-chain efficiency, wide-ranging checkout opportunities and free delivery’s expanding appeal as well as another merry holiday forecast.
Aisle Talk Week of September 17
Top headlines from the active lifestyle industry you may have missed this week, including sales growth at Gregory Mountain Products and High Sierra helping Samsonite International S.A.’s financial performance in the six months ended June 30.
Industry Voices Grow Louder In Opposition To Trade War
President Trump’s claim that increased tariffs on foreign goods have resulted in an improved business climate for U.S. companies has been widely rejected by representatives of the outdoor, sporting goods and active lifestyle industries, who are growing louder in their opposition to the administration’s escalating trade war.
Retail Reports Roundup
Studies arriving last week included a prediction that for the first time ever, more purchases will be made with mobile phones than ever during the upcoming holiday season. Research also found Nike’s chatter among Gen-Z getting louder, consumer reluctance to being targeted via customer segmentation methods, apparel shopping journeys increasingly starting online and the appeal of reward-based promotions and speedy checkouts.
SFIA: Sports Industry On The Mend
The sporting goods industry not surprisingly bounced back in 2017 after a brutal 2016 marked by the liquidation of Sports Authority, according to the 2018 SFIA State of the Industry Report. But the report still finds a cautious outlook for most industry players with many struggling to adjust to the digital disruption of retail.
Aisle Talk Week of September 10
Top headlines from the active lifestyle industry you may have missed this week, including the results of a new poll from Quinnipiac University that shows American voters approved, by a ratio of 49-to-37 percent, Nike’s decision to include Colin Kaepernick in the company’s “Just Do It” anniversary ad campaign.
Aisle Talk Week Of September 3
Top headlines from the active lifestyle industry you may have missed this week, including the tragic death of Jason Hairston, the founder of the KUIU hunting apparel brand.
Dick’s Touts Strong Vendor Relationships
Despite aggressive shifts by many vendors to pursue growth in direct-to-consumer (DTC) channels and the widely-covered challenges the chain is facing with Under Armour, Ed Stack, Dick’s Sporting Goods’ CEO, told attendees at Goldman Sachs’ Annual Global Retailing Conference that the chain’s vendor relationship have “never really been better.”
Aisle Talk Week of August 27
Top headlines from the active lifestyle industry you may have missed this week, including Black Diamond Equipment Ltd. sending Walmart a cease and desist notice in response to the launch of a new outdoor website on Walmart.com curated by Moosejaw.
Smith & Wesson’s Parent’s Shares Pop On Raised Outlook
Shares of American Outdoor Brands, the parent of Smith & Wesson, M&P, and Thompson/Center Arms, were trading up nearly a third in mid-day trading on Friday after the company exceeded guidance in the first quarter ended July 31 and aggressively lifted targets for the company’s full fiscal year. The firearms leader still cautioned that overall demand for firearms isn’t showing clear signs of a recovery.
Dick’s Blames Q2 Top-Line Shortfall On Under Armour
Dick’s Sporting Goods reported earnings that easily topped Wall Street’s targets but sales came in well below as weakness from Under Armour continued to place a drag on sales. On a conference call with analysts, Ed Stack, CEO, said the company is “repositioning” its Under Armour business, including gaining more exclusives from the brand while finding other product to fill traditional Under Armour space.
