Specialized Lays Off 8 Percent Of Its Workforce
Specialized Bicycle Components announced it was laying off 8 percent of its employees, including company-owned retail stores in the U.S. and overseas, as part of a “transformation.”
Compass Diversified Divests Electronics Company Holding
Compass Diversified (CODI), which owns Velocity Outdoor, BOA, Marucci, Primaloft, 5.11 and others in the active lifestyle space, entered into a definitive agreement to sell its majority-owned subsidiary, Compass AC Holdings, Inc., the parent company of Advanced Circuits, Inc., to APCT, Inc., a manufacturer of printed circuit boards and the portfolio company of Industrial Growth Partners.
REI To Open Athens Store
REI Co-op will open a new store in Athens, GA on February 10.
Academy Sports To Open Store In Lafayette, IN
Academy Sports + Outdoors, Inc. will open its first store in Lafayette, IN this spring in Lafayette Pavilions. This is the retailer’s fourth location in Indiana.

JD Sports Posts 20 Percent H2 Growth Across North American Retail Banners
JD Sports Fashion Plc, the parent company of Finish Line, DTLR and Shoe Palace in the U.S. and sports fashion and outdoor retail brands Blacks, JD, Millets, and Go Outdoors in the U.K., realized sales growth of more than 10 percent in its organic retail businesses through 22 weeks of the second half of 2022.

BlackStrap Creates Midway Campus And Company Headquarters
BlackStrap, the manufacturer of face gear, base layers and accessories for winter sports, anglers and outdoor recreationists, is expanding and constructing its Midway campus and company headquarters.
REI To Open In Tulsa In Spring 2024
REI Co-op will open a store in Tulsa, OK in spring 2024.

BRC Sees Solid UK Holiday Sales Growth Aided By Inflation; Volumes Fall
The British Retail Consortium reported that UK total retail sales for 2022 increased by 3.1 percent versus 2021. Food growth was 3.0 percent and non-food growth was 3.2 percent for the year.
Emerald Acquires Lodestone Events
Emerald Holding, Inc. reported it had acquired all of the assets of Lodestone Events, producers of the Overland Expo series of vehicle-based, adventure travel consumer shows.
Backbone Hires E-Commerce Director
Backbone hired Martin Mudry as e-commerce director, a new position at the company, to support its entrance into marketplace marketing across key third-party e-commerce platforms, including Amazon, Walmart, and others.

Wolverine World Wide Sees Q4 EPS At Low End Of Guide On Inventory Reduction Efforts
Wolverine World Wide, Inc. updated its outlook for fiscal 2022 revenue, earnings, inventory and net debt, reporting that the company expects the following preliminary and unaudited financial results as of December 31, 2022.

Imports Drop As Pandemic-Driven Shipping Surge Comes To An End
With a pandemic-driven surge over, monthly import cargo volume at the nation’s major container ports fell below the two million Twenty-Foot Equivalent Units mark and is forecasted to remain there through the spring, according to the Global Port Tracker Report released by the National Retail Federation and Hackett Associates.
VF Corp. Realigns EMEA Leadership Team
VF Corp. added new hires to its leadership team in Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA).
Cotopaxi CEO And Founder To Transition To Chairman In July 2023
Cotopaxi reported that CEO and Founder, Davis Smith, will transition to Chairman of the Board and transition his role to Damien Huang on July 1, 2023, respectively.
Streamlight Names Regional Sales Manager
Streamlight, Inc. hired Brice Silveria as regional sales manager for the company’s Federal/Military Division.