Aisle Talk, Week Of December 11
Top headlines from the active lifestyle industry you may have missed this week.
Under Armour Partners With Team Canada Through 2024
Under Armour and the Canadian Olympic Committee named Under Armour as the Official High Performance Footwear Supplier for Team Canada for the next eight years.
Canaccord Genuity Upgrades Foot Locker To “Buy”
Canaccord Genuity raised its rating on Foot Locker to “Buy” from “Hold” due to signs of improving footwear trends, the benefits of its supply chain enhancements and its “strong and symbiotic” relationship with Nike.
Stifel Nicolaus Upgrades Under Armour And Crocs
Stifel Nicolaus upgraded Under Armour and Crocs to “Buy,” lowered Fitbit to “Sell” and lifted it price target on Nike.
Sports Direct’s U.S. Operations Post Loss On Charges
Sports Direct reported underlying EBITDA in its US Retail segment, including Eastern Mountain Sports and Bob’s Stores, was a loss of £23.0 million in the first half ended October 29 on sales of £63.9 million.
Sporting Goods Stores Sales Rebound in November
Retail sales in November increased 0.9 percent over October on a seasonally adjusted basis and were up 6 percent year-over-year unadjusted, according to calculations released by the National Retail Federation.
Niketown London Gains Augmented Video Mapping Customization
The NIKEiD Direct Studio is a partnership with Paris-based SmartPixels.
Adidas Disbands Digital Sports Business Unit
Adidas has discontinued its Digital Sports business unit, possibly impacting 74 jobs. The realignment will entail the company consolidating some of its apps to focus on Runtastic and its relaunched Adidas app.
Asics Opens Doors To First Flagship on Fifth Avenue In New York City
Asics America Corporation opened the doors to its first U.S. flagship store featuring two brands in the Asics family – Asics and Asics Tiger. The new store on the famed Fifth Avenue in New York City is designed to represent its storied heritage and its mantra and trademark, “Sound Mind, Sound Body” as well as unveil a new platform for the brand to reach a wider variety of consumers.
Asics Launches Fitness-Class App
Asics launched ASICS Studio, a mobile fitness app that offers unlimited access to on-demand workouts. The experience features trainer-led audio, curated playlists, and visual cues to help users keep their bodies moving and heads in the game–wherever and whenever they have time to work out.
Deckers Wins Fight Against Activist Investor
Triumphing from a 10-month fight against an activist shareholder, Deckers Brands said all its candidates had been elected to its board of directors at its 2017 Annual Meeting of Stockholders.
REI Co-op Names Three New Executive Leaders
REI announced three recent hires to lead its teams in legal, information technology and REI Co-op Brands: Wilma Wallace, Christine Putur and Chris Speyer.
Morgan Stanley Raises Price Target On Dick’s Sporting Goods
Morgan Stanley raised its price target on Dick’s Sporting Goods to $30 from $28, believing the “company and stock are at a pivotal moment.”
Deckers Wins Proxy Contest Against Activist Investor
Deckers Brands announced that, based on the preliminary vote count following its 2017 Annual Meeting of Stockholders, it appears that stockholders have voted to re-elect all of Deckers’ directors.
Balega Presents Annual Ubuntu Award To Lively Athletics
Independently owned by Anne Pezalla and Kate Pezalla Marlin, specialty retailer Lively Athletics is involved in local activism, donates shoes to underserved children and participates in improving the health of its community.
