
Outdoor Retailer to Unveil New Format at Summer Market 2024
New features will reportedly roll out with Outdoor Retailer Summer 2024, taking place June 17-19, 2024 at the Salt Palace Convention Center in Salt Lake City, UT. The upcoming OR Winter show in November will be held in its existing format at the Salt Palace.

AKU Hires New PNW Sales Agency for Outdoor Category
Based in Seattle, The Alta Group will manage specific outdoor accounts for AKU in Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Oregon and Washington.

Gregory, High Sierra Parent Company Surges in Q2 as Travel Returns Across Globe
Samsonite International S.A., parent to the Gregory, High Sierra, Tumi, Kamiliant, ebags, Lipault, and Hartmann brands, among others, reported that net sales for the three months ended June 30 were $924.1 million, an increase of 36.1 percent in constant-currency terms when compared to the second quarter of 2022.

StockX Report Calls Out On, Salomon and Asics as Top YTD Trading Gainers
Success on the secondary market can be a barometer for consumer demand, and Stockx’s report suggests that, despite a more challenging retail environment, brands continue to break through and demonstrate growth.
OrthoLite Names Cirql VP/GM
OrthoLite hired Matt Thwaites as vice president and general manager of OrthoLite Cirql. He was formerly global sales and marketing director of the Footwear Division for Coats, the industrial thread company.

Sole Technology Adds Familiar Face as ThirtyTwo Design Chief
Will Keegan has re-joined Sole Technology after 12 years as boot designer/merchandiser for the ThirtyTwo brand. Moving forward, he will oversee all design and merchandising for ThirtyTwo boots and all-terrain footwear.

EXEC: Pou Sheng is Latest Chinese Retailer to Boast Growth on China Re-Opening
The retail subsidiary of footwear manufacturing powerhouse Yue Yuen International, said it saw decent recovery momentum with increased foot traffic to its brick-and-mortar channels and improved purchasing intent following the lifting of all control measures in mainland China.
Lippert Acquires Marine Trailer Performance
Lippert Components, Inc., a components supplier supporting the recreation and transportation industries, acquired substantially all of the business assets of Marine Trailer Performance, a marine axle manufacturer based in Houston, TX.

Puffin Drinkwear Names New CEO
Puffin Drinkwear hired Tory Upham as CEO, succeeding the company’s interim CEO Scott Allan

EXEC: Descente Ltd. Gets Lift from China Re-Opening in Fiscal Q1
Japan and South Korea reportedly “progressed as expected,” and China’s performance expanded significantly due to “revenge consumption” following the re-opening in January.

Report: July Retail Sales Grew 3.2 Percent Year-Over-Year
The U.S. Census Bureau reported that overall retail sales in July were up 0.7 percent from June and up 3.2 percent year-over-year. That was double the increases seen in June.

EXEC: Analysts Offer Mixed Feedback on July Retail Sales Increase
Retail sales reversed their downward trend in July as Amazon Prime Day and major promotions prompted increased shopping while wage increases gave consumers more money to spend, but an increase in the July inflation numbers and a year-ago July decline could also be at the core of the increase, according to analysts.

Western Mountain Destinations Bookings Running Down Slightly
Occupancy on-the-books is down 2.2 percent compared to last summer at this time in seven western states, according to the most recent monthly Market Briefing released by DestiMetrics, a division of Inntopia.
Columbia Sportswear Names Chief Product Officer, Columbia Brand
Columbia Sportswear Company hired Woody Blackford as senior vice president and chief product officer for the Columbia Brand. Blackford is returning to Columbia, where he previously worked for 14 years, culminating in the position of VP of global design and innovation.
Trove Secures $30 Million In Funding Round
Resale tech platform Trove reported it raised $30 million in a Series E funding round, bringing its total funding to over $150 million.