ICSC Predicts Robust Holiday Retail Spending
ICSC forecasts that shoppers will spend $807 billion, an increase of 4.5 percent over last year, with $685 billion being spent on gifts and other holiday items and $122 billion on food and beverage.
NRF Forecasts Holiday Sales Will Expand Between 4.3 Percent And 4.8 Percent
The National Retail Federation announced that the federation expects holiday retail sales in November and December to increase between 4.3 and 4.8 percent over 2017. The forecast compares with an average annual increase of 3.9 percent over the past five years.
Darn Tough Vermont Announces VP Of Product Design And Development
Darn Tough Vermont, an American manufacturer of outdoor and lifestyle socks, has announced the promotion of Lyn Feinson to VP of product design and development.
VF Corp. To Sell Reef To The Rockport Group
VF Corp. announced that the company has entered into a definitive agreement to sell the Reef brand to The Rockport Group. Reef will operate as an independent global brand under The Rockport Group, and will maintain its Carlsbad, CA, headquarters.
Adidas Signs 2017-18 NHL All-Star MVP Brock Boeser
Adidas announced a multiyear partnership with 2017-18 NHL All-Star Game Tournament MVP and 2017-18 Calder Trophy (Rookie of the Year) finalist Brock Boeser of the Vancouver Canucks.
OBIT: Nike’s Sandy Bodecker
Sandy Bodecker, a long-time Nike employee credited with bringing the Nike SB label to prominence and recently leading the Breaking project, has passed away.
L.L.Bean Pledges $1 Million For Parks
L.L.Bean announced the company’s partnership with The Trust for Public Land with a $1 million investment to help connect more people to nature.
College Basketball Scandal Spreads
In opening statements in the first trial tied to the FBI’s investigation into corruption throughout college basketball, a lawyer representing James Gatto, Adidas’ former director of global sports marketing, asserted that her client’s payments to the families of top high school basketball recruits were only made to compete with similar payments being made by Nike and Under Armour.
Foot Locker Partners With Fred Jordan Missions
Foot Locker Inc. has again partnered with the Fred Jordan Missions to provide thousands of under-priviledged children in the Los Angeles area with free athletic shoes.
AAFA Lists Certain Amazon Marketplaces in Notorious Markets Submission to USTR
The American Apparel & Footwear Association included certain Amazon marketplaces in the company’s submission to the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) identifying foreign markets that facilitate the sale of counterfeits.
College Hoops Corruption Trial Gets Under Way
The first trial tied to the FBI’s investigation into corruption throughout college basketball started on Tuesday. A lawyer representing James Gatto, Adidas’ former director of global sports marketing, asserted that her client’s payments to the families of top high school basketball players violated NCAA rules, but those rules “are not the laws of this country.”
Jordan Brand To Open Flight 23 Flagship In Downtown Los Angeles
Jordan Brand announced that the company will open a massive Flight 23 flagship in Downtown Los Angeles on October 20.
Under Armour Signs Lumen Christi
Under Armour signed on to become the provider of uniforms and other athletic merchandise to Lumen Christi Catholic School, based in Jackson, MI.
Two Former Nike Executives Join Forces To Form CO-Lab.
Nike alums Keith Crawford and David Odusanya have launched CO-Lab., a creative agency focused on design strategy for companies, from brand and product development to the consumer experience.
Relief Over Recast NAFTA Deal
With fears over the arrangement being scrapped entirely, relief arrived after the U.S., and Canada came to a last-minute agreement on a revised trade deal that could replace NAFTA. While the dairy and auto industries will face some changes, the impact on the apparel and footwear sectors appears negligible.
