EXEC: Spartoo Improves 2024 Cash Flows Through Improved Inventory Management
Spartoo is signaling that it will continue offering a wide range of footwear, ready-to-wear, bags, and accessories throughout 2024, even as it manages its online inventory more tightly.
L.L.Bean is Heading to Florida!
The 17,000-square-foot store will be located at the University Town Center in Sarasota near UTC’s Target, Best Buy and Old Navy. The new Bean location was previously a Bed Bath & Beyond.
EXEC: Fila Sets U.S. Re-Org and Inventory Sell-Off; Market Re-Entry TBD
The company has essentially shuttered the U.S. business and expects full clearance by strategically selling off Fila USA inventory by the end of 2025, and determine if best avenue for re-entry in the market is direct operations, licensing or a distribution model.
Rossignol Enters Trail Running Category
“We are shifting from being a winter sports brand to a mountain sports brand,” said Vincent Wauters, CEO, Rossignol group. On select price points, Rossignol is competing directly with names like Salomon and Hoka.
KMD Brands Appoints Nike Vet Ashley Reade as Rip Curl CEO
Ashley Reade will join the Australian surf brand in the coming months from Nike, where he is currently the vice president and general manager of Nike Pacific, responsible for growing the region to an AU$1 billion business.
EXEC: Stella Footwear Factories Ship 53M Pairs in 2024
The manufacturer of footwear for Nike, Saucony, Under Armour, Merrell, Timberland and Ugg saw Q3 shipment volumes roughly flat in US dollar terms, despite comping against a decrease of approximately 18.7 percent in Q3 last year.
Snipes Names Under Armour Vet as New Chief Marketing Officer, U.S.
The global street culture brand reported that Kelley Walton will lead the marketing organization in the U.S. to include all budget and marketing functions aligned with the company’s long-term vision
Lands’ End Sees Q4 Revenues Fall as Kids’ and Footwear Moves to Licensing
The 14.2 percent decrease in net revenue was reportedly driven by the transition of the kids’ and footwear product lines to licensing arrangements and optimizing promotional activity.
Authentic Brands Group Appoints Former Disney Exec as EVP, Head of India
Sanjeet Mehta will oversee the company’s strategy in India, focusing on expanding brand presence, forging strategic partnerships and driving revenue growth, working with Henry Stupp, regional president of the EMEIA.
Nike, Inc. Sees Turnaround Efforts Lasting through Fiscal 2026
Analysts were optimistic about the “Win Now” initiatives outlined by CEO Elliott Hill, but many shared concerns that the path ahead is likely to be long and volatile, pushing into the 2026 fiscal year, which commences in July 2025.
Shoe Carnival, Inc. to Re-Banner to Majority Shoe Station Stores Within 24 Months
The move to re-banner comes as the posted mixed results in Q4, with top-line sales of $262.94 million missing analysts’ consensus estimate of $274.21 million, while Adjusted EPS of 54 cents beat the consensus estimate of 43 cents per share.
Academy Sports & Outdoors Beats on Q4 Bottom Line; Looks Ahead to Jordan Launch
The company expects the first quarter to be the most challenging from a sales and earnings per share prospective as they plan to open five stores and transition to the new Jordan floor set but see the back half of the year to be stronger than the first half.
Famous Footwear Parent Caleres, Inc. Places Bigger Focus on Brand Portfolio for Growth
Famous Footwear total athletic footwear sales declined low-single-digits in Q4, albeit with solid growth from Adidas and New Balance. The boot category saw high single-digit sales declines, as expected.
EXEC: Designer Brands CEO Shares 2025 Plans for DSW, Topo Athletic, Keds and Private Label
The parent of DSW, The Shoe Co., and Rubino, and the Topo Athletic, Keds, Le Tigre, Hush Puppies, and other footwear brands, plans to focus on a larger athleisure assortment at retail and more focus on Topo Athletic, Keds and Private Label in the Brand Portfoloio.
EXEC: The Footwear Brands Bringing the Brand Heat in 2025
L.E.K. said the athletic footwear brands tend to engender the most excitement from consumers overall, and other surveys and analysis over the last year have seen even more excitement as Nike stumbled and left the door open for others.
