
Life Time to Open Athletic Country Club to The Brooklyn Tower
The Life Time Brooklyn Tower athletic country club will cover seven floors throughout the 1,066-foot-tall building. It will be Life Time’s largest location in Brooklyn at approximately 80,000 square feet.

Crunch Fitness Franchise Opens Gym in Frederick, Maryland
Chad Smith, owner of Fitness Growth Capital, has found the opportunity to help develop the Crunch brand through his passion for the industry. The company operates 59 gyms nationwide, including nine Crunch locations.

EXEC: Puma SE Forecast Q1 Sales to Decline on Weak U.S. and China
For the first quarter, Puma said it anticipates currency-adjusted sales growth to be down in low-single-digits versus the 2024 Q1 level, primarily due to a soft performance in the U.S. and China.

EXEC: Dick’s SG Shares Decline as Street Worries About Weaker 2025 Outlook
Dick’s posted a 5.2 percent comp store sales increase for the 2024 fiscal year, cycling against a 2.6 percent comp sales gain in the 2023 fiscal year. The retailer expects full-year comp sales growth from 1.0 percent to 3.0 percent for fiscal 2025.

Golftec Opens Franchise Location in Northwest San Antonio
Franchise Owner and Center Manager Ryan Cummings leads the operation having spent over 23 years serving the San Antonio, TX, golf community.

NRF Sees Import Cargo Levels Continuing to Rise Among Tariff Uncertainty
Imports from all trading partners could also be affected by a new fee the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative is considering that would levy a fee between $1 million and $1.5 million each time a Chinese-built ship docks at a U.S. port.

CNBC/NRF Retail Monitor Sees February Y/Y Retail Sales Growing But Moderating
The Sporting Goods, Hobby, Music & Book Stores segment increased 3.6 percent year-over-year, up from 2.8 percent y/y growth in January. Clothing, Footwear and Accessories Stores were up 3.8 percent in February, half the trend in January.

Big Peach Running Sets to Open New Gainesville, Georgia Store
Alex and Stephanie (Fe) Rodriguez previously opened Big Peach stores in Dawsonville and Cumming, Georgia, respectively, and will now own and operate the Gainesville, GA.

Lacrosse Unlimited Expands Nationwide Footprint
The newly added stores in Illinois, Georgia, Colorado, and Florida represent the emergence of the sport in these markets and Lacrosse Unlimited’s support to grow the sport in each demographic.

Adidas Inks Liverpool Football Kit Deal Rumored at £300 Million
British media reports suggest the deal is a five-year agreement worth over £60 million ($77.4 million) per year. Adidas last provided the kit deal with the LFC from 2006 through 2012. Nike has held the deal since 2020.

TruGolf Links Signs Franchise Development Deal
As Regional Developer for TruGolf Links, Knoxville, TN native John Young will lead a statewide expansion of the company’s indoor golf concept, starting with the first flagship location in Knoxville.

Crunch Fitness is Coming to Pensacola, Florida
The 40,000-square-foot fitness facility, will open its doors in Fall 2025, operated by Crunch Fitness franchisee Fitness Ventures LLC,

Head NA Names Bardsley as Next CEO; Kempin Sets July Retirement
The company has named Jeff Bardsley as the next president and CEO of Head North America. The current VP of Racquet Sports marketing for North America, will replace longtime CEO Kevin Kempin, who will retire July 1 after 32 years with the company.

Academy Appoints EVP & Chief Information Officer
Sumit Anand joined Academy this month and reports directly to CEO Steve Lawrence. Anand oversees enterprise technology operations, including cybersecurity, IT infrastructure and operations, and IT shared services, supporting the company’s corporate, distribution center and retail initiatives.

PickleRage Accelerates Growth with Nine New Franchise Agreements
With this latest round of franchise agreements, the company is debuting in North Carolina, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, and Texas, further expanding its national presence.