Report: Back-to-School Expected to Benefit from ‘Resilient’ Consumer
Placer.ai reported that overall U.S. retail traffic in early 2025 shows modest growth so far this year, boding well for the upcoming back-to-school season. Traditional back-to-school categories, such as sportswear and footwear, are expected to remain strong.
Katadyn Group Appoints CEO
Karl Baumann has been appointed CEO of the outdoor hydration, nutrition and cooking systems specialist, effective April 1, 2025. Baumann most recently served as CEO of Ferrum Process Systems Group.
Big 5 Sporting Goods to Go Private via Acquisition by Specialty Golf Retailer and PE Firm
The retailer has entered into a definitive merger agreement to be acquired by a partnership comprised of Worldwide Golf and Capitol Hill Group, in an all-cash transaction valued at approximately $112.7 million in enterprise value, including the assumption of roughly $71.4 million in credit line borrowings as of June 29, 2025.
EXEC: Nike, Inc. Forcing Australia’s SurfStitch Into Liquidation
Nike claims SurfStitch owes it $237,760 and is demanding that the company be placed into liquidation. Edwin Narayan and Domenic Calabretta, from Mackay Goodwin, were appointed as administrators earlier this month to sort out the retailer’s finances.
RV Industry Association Sees Age Demographics Trend Lower in New “Intenders” Report
According to the RV Demographic Profile of Intenders, 73 percent of near-term RV intenders are under age 55, and 34 percent live in urban areas. The segment is also becoming more multicultural, with 32 percent identifying as African-American, Asian-American, Hispanic, or LGBTQ+.
EXEC: Sport Obermeyer CEO Kris Kuster Talks Year ‘Round Mountain Opportunities in Ski, Hunt & Fish
Kris Kuster, Sport Obermeyer’s new CEO, spoke with SGB Executive about the opportunities he sees for the company in targeting female hunters and anglers, as well as plans to introduce fashion-forward capsules, including those connected to Obermeyer’s hometown of Aspen, the revamp of its online presence, and the impact of tariffs. Kuster also spoke about the impossibility of replacing Klaus Obermeyer.
U.K.-Based Footwear Distributor Gardiners Acquires Dubois
U.K.-based footwear distributor Gardiners Group has acquired European footwear distributor Dubois in a strategic move to expand its offering into Europe.
American Outdoor Brands’ Q4 Sales Jump 34 Percent
Sales for the maker of outdoor accessories, including under the Bubba, Caldwell, Grilla, and Hooyman names, climbed 33.8 percent in the fourth quarter and 10.6 percent in the fiscal year ended April 30. The company’s sales got a boost from the success of new products, including the ClayCopter and the Bubba SFS Lite, as well as the transition of DTC brands Grilla and MEAT! into retail, double-digit international growth, and its strategic mix shift toward the Outdoor Lifestyle category.
Recall: Bell Sports Bicycle Helmets
About 31,200 Bell Sports bicycle helmets are being recalled. The recalled helmets do not comply with the impact requirements of the Consumer Product Safety Commission’s (CPSC) mandatory federal safety standard for bike helmets.
Recall: Coleman Converta Camping Cots and Camping Suspension Stretchers
According to a statement from the CPSC, Coleman has received seven reports of the seatback adjustment mechanism pinching consumers’ fingers, including two reports of fractured fingers.
FDRA Elects New Board Leadership for 2025/27 Term
The newly elected leadership for the 2025–2027 term includes Josue Solano, CEO of BBC International, as Board chair; Dan Friedman, chief sourcing and supply chain officer at Caleres, as vice chair; and Lisa Tucker, president of Shoe Show, Inc. as treasurer.
GCOOS Develops New Open-Source Tool for Accessing Ocean Data
A new open-source tool released by GCOOS connects AI assistants to scientific data servers, allowing oceanographers, climate researchers, marine scientists, and the public to access vast databases of ocean information.
Compass Diversified Reports Inability to Rely on 2022 and 2023 Financial Statements
The owner of the 5.11, Boa, Oxo, and Primaloft brands disclosed on Wednesday, June 24, its non-reliance on its financial statements for fiscal years 2022 and 2023 amid an ongoing investigation into its subsidiary Lugano Holding, Inc. The investigation does not involve CODI’s other subsidiaries.
EXEC: Topo Athletic CEO Tony Post Talks Meteoric Growth for the Running Brand
SGB Executive talks with Topo Athletic’s Founder and CEO Tony Post about the brand’s momentum, recent product wins, its partnership with DBI, tariff turmoil, and future opportunities.
Decathlon Closing Five Greater Toronto Area Stores
Decathlon is closing its five stores in the Greater Toronto area this summer. The retailer provided no reason for the closures, but the French sporting goods chain stated in a media release that it had recently launched same-day delivery and is considering opening smaller store formats or adopting a wholesale distribution model to serve the region.
