Authentic Brands Group Taps Shaq to Run Reebok Basketball
Reebok appointed Shaquille O’Neal as president of Reebok Basketball with Allen Iverson serving as vice president of the division. Both NBA legends have longstanding relationships with Reebok and its parent company, Authentic Brands Group.
EXEC: Volumental’s Brent Hollowell Talks Fit for Feet
Volumental, the Swedish footwear fit tech company, recently hired industry veteran Brent Hollowell as general manager for its North American operations, responsible for accelerating growth in the region. Hollowell talked with SGB Executive about his role, Volumental’s push into North America, the barriers to fit tech, and the potential of generative AI in the fit process.
Birkenstock Stumbles on First Day of Trading as a Public Company
When Bloomberg declares your debut on Wall Street as a publicly-traded company the worst opening for a listing of $1 billion or more in New York in over two years, you may have a problem.
EXEC: Sports Direct Parent Expands Stake in Norwegian Retailer
Shares of XXL, the struggling Oslo-listed sports retailer, are reportedly surging after the company reported that Frasers Group, the UK-based parent of Sports Direct, purchased 117.4 million shares of the company, bringing its total holding to 162.1 million.
EXEC: BRC Sees Weaker UK Retail Growth in September as Non-Food Sales Decline
The British Retail Consortium reported that total UK retail sales were 2.7 percent in September, against a growth of 2.2 percent in September 2022, supported by a 9.5 percent inflation rate.
EXEC: JD Sports Completes Shares Purchase of Iberian Sports Retail Group
Effective October 10, JD acquired 49.98 percent of shares of ISRG from Balaiko Firaja Invest, S.L. and Sonae Holdings, S.A. for cash consideration of €500.1 million ($531.2 million) and now owns 100 percent of ISRG shares.
Ross Stores Opens 51 New Stores in September and October
The company opened 43 Ross Dress for Less and eight DD’s Discounts stores across 22 states in September and October, completing the company’s store growth plans for fiscal 2023, adding 97 new locations.
Iconix Brand Founder Neil Cole Gets 18-Month Prison Term
Neil Cole, the founder and former CEO of Iconix Brand Group, was sentenced to 18 months in prison, after his second trial in a criminal case. Last November, Cole was convicted of securities fraud and other charges for misleading investors about the company’s earnings.
Sporting Insights Appoints Joint Managing Director
The U.K.-based market research firm announced that Richard Payne has taken on a new position as joint managing director of the company, alongside managing director, John Bushell.
Report: UK Holiday Spending Increase Will Fall Short of Inflation Growth
The 3.4 percent growth for the holiday selling period, driven by 9.3 percent inflation for the year, still falls short of last year’s increase and marks a second quarter of slowing growth in 2023.
Skechers Obtains European Injunction Against Dockers Over Hands Free Slip-Ins Designs
Skechers USA, Inc. reported it had obtained a European Union-wide preliminary injunction against Dockers by Gerli for selling a shoe style that infringes on Skechers’ Hands Free Slip-ins designs.
NRF: Import Volumes Slowing Heading Into Holiday Selling
Import cargo volume at the major container ports in the U.S. has hit its expected peak for the year and should gradually slow moving into the holiday season, according to the Global Port Tracker report released by the National Retail Federation(NRF) and Hackett Associates. Ports have not reported September numbers, but Global Port Tracker projected the month at 1.94 million TEU, down 4.3 percent year-over-year. October is also forecasted at 1.94 million TEU, down 3.1 percent year-over-year.
Birkenstock Holding Makes Debut on Wall Street Today
Birkenstock Holding is set to list its U.S. initial public offering at $46 a share, slightly below the midpoint of its projected range between $44 and $49. The stock is set to begin trading Wednesday morning at the open of the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol BIRK.
Good Feet Hires First Chief Brand Officer
Good Feet Holdings, LLC, the holdings group of wellness brands, including The Good Feet Store and ING Source socks, appointed Doug Zarkin as incoming chief brand officer.
Industry Analyst Joins Edelman Smithfield
Edelman Smithfield, a financial communications firm, announced that Kimberly Greenberger, a veteran Wall Street analyst covering the apparel and footwear space, has joined the firm as a senior advisor.
