Dick’s SG Joins Top 50 Most Patriotic Brands for First Time; New Balance Falls in Rankings
Indoor Malls Lead Overall Mall Foot Traffic Growth in May; Consumer Median Income Dips
EXEC: Academy’s Chief Merchant Talks Jordan Launch, Nike Brand Success, Tariff Disruption
EXEC: Trump Announces U.S. and China Have Reached Trade Deal With 55 percent Tariff
EXEC: Academy CEO Sees Promising Returns from Improved Nike Allocations, Jordan Launch
SGB Update
VF Corp’s Debt Ratings Downgraded by Moody’s on Vans’ Turnaround Challenges
Moody’s downgraded V.F. Corp due to its need for significant continued operational initiatives to support the turnaround of its Vans business to profitable growth.
Perfect Moment Prelim Fiscal Q4 Results Show Small Sales Increase
Revenue for the full year declined 12 percent, reportedly due in part to one of the company’s largest wholesale customers, Matches Fashion, filing for bankruptcy. Alongside increased investment in leadership, infrastructure, and brand positioning, this had an adverse impact on operating results.
May Retail Sales Grow 3.0 Percent Year-Over-Year; SG Sector Grows 1.8 Percent
Total sales for the March 2025 through May 2025 period were up 4.5 percent (±0.4 percent) y/y. The March 2025 to April 2025 percent change was revised from up 0.1 percent (±0.5 percent) to down 0.1 percent (±0.2 percent).
Dôen Secures Equity Investment
The company currently operates seven brick-and-mortar stores, including recent openings in Marin, CA and Nantucket, MA. Retail sales, in aggregate, are reported to have “grown 80 percent year-over-year, while comp store sales are up 46 percent, with 65 percent growth at its Bleecker Street store in New York City.”
Study Highlights Opportunities for Brands Supporting Women’s Sports
A new study by women’s sports agency Parity finds that 68 percent of U.S. sports fans trust that female athletes believe in the products they are promoting. Of the respondents, 43 percent of female sports fans and 67 percent of those who frequently watch female sports said that a brand’s partnership with a female athlete makes them more likely to make a purchase.
SGB Executive
EXEC: OIA Study Finds Outdoor Stores Still Missing Emerging Casual Consumers
At a session this week at Switchback Spring being held in Nashville, Kelly Davis, director of research at the Outdoor Industry Association, highlighted new consumer research that shows the outdoor space remains fixated on “Core” consumers at the expense of reaching the more “Active” and “Casual” participants.
EXEC: Academy’s Chief Merchant Talks Jordan Launch, Nike Brand Success, Tariff Disruption
Following the retailer’s first-quarter results report, Academy’s EVP and Chief Merchant Matt McCabe added more highlights from the business, including the promise to introduce the Jordan brand, a strong response to expanding Nike product and market share gains among higher-income households.
EXEC: Trump Announces U.S. and China Have Reached Trade Deal With 55 percent Tariff
President Donald Trump declared the trade war with China “done” Wednesday, while Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said tariffs on Chinese goods will be locked in at the current 55 percent rate without additional increases.
EXEC: Trump Tariffs Having Little Impact on Retail Footwear Prices
The May Consumer Price Index (CPI) came in cooler than expected, defying fears that the impact of President Trump’s tariffs would start to show a rise in prices. A separate analysis by the FDRA indicates that footwear prices in May likewise declined year-over-year.
EXEC: Academy CEO Sees Promising Returns from Improved Nike Allocations, Jordan Launch
First-quarter results missed analyst estimates and the retailer widened its full-year guidance due to potential inflationary pressures arriving this year. Management also shared many positive developments, including a healthy response to Nike product expansion and Jordan brand launch.
