Asics Corp. Appoints New Chairman & CEO and New President & COO
The Asics Corporation Board of Directors appointed a new president and reappointed other current top executives to posts other than their current roles.
Westminster College Partners with Nike/BSN Sports
Westminster College, based in New Wilmington, PA, established a product supply agreement with Nike and BSN Sports.
Foot Locker’s Debt Ratings Lowered by S&P
S&P Global Ratings downgraded the debt ratings of Foot Locker, Inc. following the sneaker giant’s report of weaker-than-expected second-quarter earnings amid elevated promotional activity and weak consumer demand.
Golden Goose Sales Increased 21 Percent in First Half
Golden Goose reported sales of €276.4 million ($295 mm) in the first half, up 21 percent year-over-year. The Italian sneaker maker’s sales were up 65 percent over the first half of 2021.
EXEC: Nike Confident In Profit Recovery in FY24
At its annual meeting, Nike officials expressed confidence that profitability would bounce back in the coming fiscal year ended May 2024 after markdowns to clear excessive inventories led to a profit shortfall in the prior fiscal year. Execs were also bullish on the brand’s innovation pipeline, structural tailwinds behind the athletics space and its evolving marketplace strategy.
Report: August Mall Foot Traffic Decline Data May Have Some Positives
Placer.ai said in its August 2023 Mall Index report that while MoM visits fell for the month, other foot traffic metrics painted a rosier picture for the period when delving deeper into the location analytics.
AlixPartners: Holiday Retail May Be A Tale of Two Cities Again this Year
The consulting firm’s Holiday Outlook Survey of more than 1,000 American consumers found that 26 percent of consumers plan on spending less this holiday season with 38 percent of households with incomes under $45K planning to spend less.
HeyDude Faces $1.95 Million Fine from FTC
HeyDude will pay $1.95 million in fines over allegations they misled customers by only allowing positive reviews to appear on its website. Crocs said the violations primarily occurred prior to the acquisition.
Duluth Trading Opens New Fulfillment Center
The new facility, located in Adairsville, GA is the company’s fourth fulfillment center and first to use automation and robotics.
August Retail Sales Growth Moderates; Sporting Goods Trends Down
August sales were up in five out of nine retail categories on a yearly basis, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Circana reported flat sales growth year-over-year for their categories while the NRF and USCB saw sales up 3.3 percent for the period.
EXEC: Inside Birkenstock’s Growth Plans
In its IPO prospectus, Birkenstock said it sees “ample whitespace to continue growing the Birkenstock brand” by raising brand awareness, production capacity expansion, core and new product portfolio innovation, and a continued DTC shift.
Deloitte Forecasts Softer Holiday Sales, Double-Digit E-Commerce Growth
Holiday sales in the U.S. are estimated to grow 3.5 percent to 4.6 percent between November and January, slowing from the 7.6 percent increase seen in 2022, according to Deloitte’s annual holiday retail forecast. The moderation reflects less inflation but also weaker consumer spending.
Nordstrom, Inc. Promotes Three to Key Leadership Roles
The retailer promoted Jamie Nordstrom to chief merchandising officer, Fanya Chandler to president, Nordstrom Stores and Gemma Lionello to president, Nordstrom Rack.
Lululemon Athletica Appoints New Board Member
Shane Grant has been the group deputy CEO, CEO Americas, and EVP of dairy, plant-based and global sales at Danone, a global food and beverage company, since January 2023.
Major League Pickleball and PPA Tour to Merge
The operators of the two major pickleball leagues, Major League Pickleball and the PPA Tour agreed to merge. The companies will remain distinct, but the merger aims to eliminate scheduling conflicts and competition over players.
