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.
Genesco Appoints Chris Santaella as Chief Merchant of Journeys Group
Santaella joins Journeys from Foot Locker, where he worked for over three decades in successive roles, most recently as senior vice president and chief merchandising officer for Foot Locker, Kids Foot Locker and Champs Sports.
Authentic Inks DC Shoes Brand Management Deal with BBC International
BBC International will be tasked with the global design and sourcing for DC Shoes footwear, snowboard boots and the wholesale distribution of the DC Shoes brand in the U.S. and Canada.
Costco’s Global Sales Climb 10 Percent In December
Costco Wholesale Corporation reported net sales of $26.15 billion for the retail month of December, an increase of 9.9 percent from $23.80 billion last year. U.S. sales were up 7.3 percent.
EXEC: Amer Sports Files for U.S. IPO
The parent of Wilson, Salomon, Arc-Teryx, and other sports and outdoor brands, filed for a long-expected U.S. initial public offering. In its prospectus, Amer touted the benefits of its “Transformation” program following its 2019 acquisition by an Anta Sports-led investor group that led to a brand-direct model, rapidly owned store expansion and accelerated growth in China.
Report: U.S. Holiday Online Sales Grow 4.9 Percent
Online spending in the U.S. during the 2023 holiday season climbed 4.9 percent to $222.1 billion in November and December, according to Adobe Analytics. Growth was reportedly driven by sizeable discounts across electronics, toys and apparel, as well as increased usage of the flexible ‘Buy Now Pay Later’ payment option.
Brooks Hires VP of Apparel and Accessories
Brooks Running hired Gabriel Rodriguez as VP of apparel and accessories. Most recently, Rodriguez was the director of run apparel and competitive train/Curry and basketball at Under Armour.
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.
SFIA Re-Elects Ram as Chair; Adds Three New Board Members
SFIA re-elected Jonathan Ram, CEO of Clarks, Inc., as chairman of the Board of Directors for the 2024 term. Isabel Coscia, SVP of marketing at Technogym, Ryan Cruthirds, chief digital commerce and brand development officer at Implus LLC and Koichiro Kodama, president and CEO for Asics North America, were newly elected to the SFIA Board,
The Buckle’s Comps Decline 6 Percent In December
The Buckle, Inc. announced that comparable store net sales for the 5-week period ended December 30 decreased 5.8 percent versus the year-ago period. Net sales decreased 5.0 percent to $203.8 million from $214.5 million a year ago.
EXEC: JD Sports Sees YTD Comp Sales Growth Fall Short, Impacting Full-Year View
Company shares plummeted 23 percent on the London Sock Exchange Thursday as the parent of the JD, Finish Line, DTLR, and Shoe Palace retail brands in the U.S. and JD and others worldwide, reported that comp store sales growth was just 1.8 percent for the 22-week yeat-to-date period through December 30.
Academy Sports’ Former President Lands at Groundworks
Groundworks, the foundation and water management solutions company, hired Michael Mullican as CFO. Last October, Mullican stepped down from Academy Sports as president and CFO to pursue personal and professional opportunities.
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.
UK’s SportsShoes.com Inks Global Marketing Partnership with Parkrun
The UK-based online running shoe, clothing and outdoor gear retailer said in a release it is now exclusively Parkrun’s official retail partner in the UK, while also supporting the global Parkrun community with procurement and distribution of its range of merchandise.
K-Swiss Appoints VP of Lifestyle
K-Swiss hired athletics footwear veteran Andrew Richard as VP of lifestyle, responsible for leading lifestyle sales for the Americas region, including the wholesale sales team and K-Swiss distributors.
