Vermont Organic Fiber Names Ed Kiniry CEO
Vermont Organic Fiber Co., based in Middlebury, VT, has hired veteran outdoor industry entrepreneur Edward ('Ed') Kiniry as CEO. Formerly, he was president of Winterquest, LLC, the parent company of Tubbs and Atlas snowshoes, selling the company
Sporting Goods Retailers Sued Over Switchblades
A class action claims that Wal-Mart, Cabela's, Dicks Sporting Goods and others are selling switchblade knives that they know are illegal in Texas…
NSGA Confirms Key Speakers for Conference
Best Buy President & Chief Operating Officer Brian Dunn is among the featured speakers who have been confirmed for the 45th Annual NSGA Management Conference & 11th Annual Team Dealer Summit, which will be held May 3-6, 2009, at the Westin La Cantera Reso
Retailers See Sales Increase, Comps Down in Q3
Retailers in the active sports lifestyle market posted reasonable sales growth for the fiscal third quarter in the light of the general malaise in the market, as sales grew 3.4% on a consolidated basis for the public company retailers tracked by Sports Ex
Quiksilver Americas President Resigns
Quiksilver, Inc.'s Marty Samuels has left the company. Samuels, who most recently served the company as president of its Americas region, had been with Quiksilver for twelve years. Craig Stevenson has been named interim President of Quiksilver Americ
The Finish Line Shrinks Loss, Inventory in Third Quarter
Strong inventory and cost controls combines with a decent performance in footwear to help The Finish Line slightly trim its loss from continuing operations in the third quarter ended November 29. These improvements helped offset continued weakness in appa
Study: Obese Now Outweigh the Overweight
A new study by the National Center for Health Statistics finds that the number of obese American adults outweighs the number of those who are considered merely overweight for the first time. The study shows that more than 34% of Americans are obese, compa
More Vendors Restructure Under Economic Pressures
Head N.V. Group plans to close its tennis ball factory in Phoenix, AZ in March of this year. In 2007, the company began manufacturing tennis balls in a new factory in China, and has now made the decision to shut the U.S. facility and manufacture its worl
Avia Partners with Troy Lee Designs
Avia announced a new partnership deal with Troy Lee Designs (TLD), the southern California-based company that produces custom graphic designs for the “world’s fastest racers.” TLD will co-create a collection of AVIA racing shoes with a limited release per
The Buckle Continues Comps Run with 13.5% December Gain
The Buckle, Inc. reported a 13.5% jump in comparable store sales for fiscal December. Net sales for the five-week fiscal month ended January 3, 2009 increased 20.8% to $131.2 million from $108.5 million for the year-ago period…
Smith and Wesson to Supply 4,000-man Police Force with MandP40
Smith & Wesson Corp. said it has received confirmation from the South Australia Police Force (SAPOL) that it will arm its 4,000-officer frontline force with the company's M&P40 pistols…
BJ’s Comps Up Slightly for December
BJ's Wholesale Club, Inc. reported total sales for December 2008 increased by 3.2% to $1.06 billion from $1.03 billion in December 2007. On a comparable club basis, sales increased by 1.6% for the month of December, including a negative impact from s
Wolverine to Acquire Cushe Footwear Brand
Wolverine World Wide, Inc. announced the acquisition of the Cushe (pronounced “cushy”) footwear brand, a move the company says will drive new global opportunities and leverage the strength of Wolverine's proven business model and operating infrastruc
J.C. Penney Dec. Comps Fall 8.1%
J. C. Penney Company, Inc. comparable store sales decreased 8.1% for the five-week period ended Jan. 3, 2009, better than the company’s guidance for a low-double digit decrease…
December Comp Sales Flat for Ross Stores
Ross Stores, Inc. saw sales of $802 million for the five weeks ended Jan. 3, 2009, a 6% increase over the $755 million in sales for the five weeks ended Jan. 5, 2008. Same store sales for the five weeks ended Jan. 3, 2009 were flat on top of a 3% increase
