
Genesco Cuts Guidance as Journeys, Boots a Drag on Holiday Selling
With fourth quarter sales trending below our expectations, GCO now expects total year adjusted EPS to be in the range of 65 cents to 85 cents compared with the company’s prior view for a range of $1.50 to $2.00.

Tilly’s Sees Bright Spot in Footwear in Dismal Holiday Selling Period
Total net sales decreased 7.4 percent to $139.7 million for the 2023 Holiday period compared to $150.9 million for corresponding nine-week Holiday period in the prior year.

Wolverine World Wide Expects 2023 Results In Line with Estimates
The company expects to deliver financial results in line with previous guidance and achieving better-than-anticipated year-end debt and inventory levels.

United Sports Brands Names CEO
Phil Gyori was appointed CEO. Most recently, he was the CEO of Pelican Products. His hire follows the company’s recent acquisition by Norwest Equity Partners.

Report: Gen-Z Strava Athletes Most Likely to Build Community for Workouts
The report concluded that while it’s no surprise that Gen Z’s behaviors and habits vary from other generations, they also have different motivators, barriers and interests when it comes to staying active.

National Golf Foundation Makes Board Appointments
The National Golf Foundation (NGF) added Craig Kessler, PGA of America COO, Geoff Cottrill, Topgolf’s chief brand officer, and Edric Funk, Toro’s VP of golf, grounds, and irrigation, to its Board of Directors, effective January 1, 2024.

Goruck Becomes CrossFit Games Official Footwear and Apparel Partner
Goruck, based in Jacksonville, FL, replaced Nobull as the official apparel and footwear provider of CrossFit and the CrossFit Games.

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.