
EXEC: Dick’s SG Sees Differentiation Reaping Dividends
Speaking Tuesday at the 2023 Morgan Stanley Global Consumer & Retail Conference, Navdeep Gupta, EVP and CFO at Dick’s Sporting Goods, elaborated on how the retailer’s efforts to further differentiate itself both within product and the store experience is driving market share gains.

Isbjörn of Sweden taps Sprout Sales for Canadian representation
Isbjörn of Sweden hired Toronto-based sales agency Sprout Sales, Inc., led by industry veteran Kelly Holmes, as its retail sales agent for the Canadian market.

REI to Close Santa Monica Store
REI confirmed plans to close its store in downtown Santa Monica, CA, due, in part, to higher costs of doing business. The two-story, 32,000-square-foot location will close February 29, 2024.

EXEC: Eddie Bauer’s CEO Discusses Modernized Rebrand
Eddie Bauer introduced a new brand evolution and redesigned its logo in September, including bringing back “the goose.” Tim Bantle, Eddie Bauer’s CEO, talked with SGB Executive about the refreshed look of the 103-year-old brand, re-embracing its outdoor roots and its heightened focus on wholesale.

Livsn Designs Secures Funding From RZC Investments
Livsn Designs, a sustainable outdoor apparel brand, reported it raised seed capital led by RZC Investments, a Bentonville, AK-based multi-strategy investment firm on behalf of Steuart and Tom Walton.

EXEC: Circana Reports Outdoor Sales Down 1 Percent Through September
Julia Clark Day presented data that showed sales in the outdoor industry were down 1 percent in dollar terms year-over-year to $27.8 billion in the 12-month period ended September 2023. Unit sales were said to be down 4 percent for the period.

EXEC: UK Retail Foot Traffic Rebounds in November
After suggesting the the UK retail market was hampered by stalled consumer spending in October, the British Retail Consortium reportedly saw a recovery in foot traffic in November, with total UK foot traffic down 0.7 percent year-over-year.

PeopleForBikes Highlights Bike Industry Contribution to U.S. Economy
PeopleForBikes reported it took a deeper look into the Bureau of Economic Analysis recently released 2022 report that estimated the U.S. outdoor recreation economy contributed $1.08 trillion to the U.S. GDP in 2022.

VF, Vista Outdoor, Wolverine Worldwide Top Most-Read SGB Articles for November
November 2023 featured to usual articles for the start of the holiday shopping season and the end of the retail fiscal quarter, but it was a dramatic job cutting announcement from VF Corporation, parent of The North Face, Vans, Timberland, Dickies and Jansport that got the most attention over the 30-day period.

Consumer Confidence Rebounds in November
U.S. consumer confidence rose in November after three straight monthly declines, with U.S. consumers planning big-ticket purchases, including motor vehicles and houses, over the next six months despite higher prices and interest rates.

Vista Outdoor Appoints Co-CEOs Ahead of Split
As part of the previously announced plan to sell its ammo business to Czechoslovak Group and change the company’s name to Revelyst, Vista Outdoor, Inc. named Eric Nyman and Jason Vanderbrink as co-chief executive officers in a regulatory filing.

Newell Brands Adds New Board Member
Effective January 1, 2024, Anthony Terry, recently retired executive vice president and chief financial officer of Marriott Vacations Worldwide Corp., will serve on the company’s Board of Directors.

ICSC Releases Post-Thanksgiving Weekend Survey Results
The International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC) reported the results of its post-Thanksgiving weekend survey*, which showed that over half of respondents (56 percent) noted that they shopped just as much or more than in the past, an increase of 6 percent from its 2022 survey.

Dakine launches Winter 2024 Signature Series
Dakine launched its winter signature series of packs, gloves and mitts, designed in collaboration with snowboarding and ski athletes Sam Taxwood, Louif Paradis, Jill Perkins, Karl Fostvedt, and Sammy Carlson.

UYN Sports signs Bode Miller as U.S. Ambassador
UYN Sports, the manufacturer of technical apparel, footwear and accessories, named alpine ski racer Bode Miller as U.S. brand ambassador.