Surftech Appoints Sammy Nigh Director of National Sales
Surftech, the maker of surf and stand-up paddleboards based in Santa Cruz, appointed Sammy Nigh as its new director of North American Sales. Before joining Surftech, Nigh previously served as head of sales at Sessions Outerwear and Fox Sportswear.
Cocona Lands $15 Million Private Placement
Cocona, Inc. closed a $15 million funding round lead by an affiliate of H.I.G. Growth Partners, which has become Cocona's newest minority equity investor. Prior investors Fairhaven Capital and OnPoint Technologies, Inc., also participated in the roun
NRF Welcomes Agreement To Avoid Fiscal Cliff
The National Retail Federation welcomed an agreement reached between the White House and Congress on a plan to avoid the fiscal cliff. The agreement was approved by the Senate early this morning and could be considered by the House as soon as today…
Nielsen Acquires The Sports Licensing and Tailgate Show
Nielsen Holdings N.V., which owns the Outdoor Retailer and Interbike trade shows, has acquired The Sports Licensing & Tailgate Show and the Tailgating Industry Association. The acquisition is effective immediately…
ICSC: Holiday Retail Sales on Pace to Grow 3.0 Percent
Holiday retail sales are on track to grow 3.0 over last year, according to the latest readings from the ICSC\Goldman Sachs (ICSC\GS) chain store sales index. The index rose by 0.7 percent for the week ending Dec. 22 from the prior week, which continued to
Consumer Confidence Plunges in December
The Conference Board said its consumer-confidence index declined in December, as a sub-gauge on expectations plunged to 66.5 — the lowest reading since November 2011 — from 80.9 a month earlier. Blamed were uncertainties over the fiscal cliff…
FitStudio By Sears Debuts Fit 15 List
Sears announced the 2013 Fit 15 list of must-have fitness gear and trends from a panel of 15 certified fitness professionals with more than 150 years of combined experience. The first-ever list promises the “New Year's hottest fitness apparel, access
ShopperTrak: Final Holiday Week Finished Strong, but Fell Below 2011 Mark
Last-minute shopping activity drove large increases in both retail sales and foot traffic last week. ShopperTrak, the world’s largest counter of retail foot traffic, reported that for the week ending Dec. 22, sales increased 39.1 percent and traffic
Allen Edmonds Gains Equity Investment
Gladstone Capital Corporation has invested $19.5 million in Allen Edmonds Shoe Corporation by purchasing a loan from one of Allen Edmonds' existing lenders…
Virus to Provide Ski Patrol with Coffee Char Compression Wear
Virus Action Sport Performance has been chosen as the official supplier for The National Ski Patrol Association (NSP). The NSP will utilize Virus' popular Stay Warm Coffee Charcoal Compression for their 29,000 members…
Bass Pro Announces Georgia and Florida Store Openings
Bass Pro Shops will open a 100,000-square-foot Bass Pro Shops Outpost store in Emerson, GA. as well as a 104,000-square-foot Bass Pro Shops Outdoor World store in St. Johns County, FL to serve the Jacksonville area…
Billabong Agrees To Due Diligence With Naude’s Group
Billabong announced that a consortium led by Paul Naude, a board director and former head of Billabong’s Americas division, and New York-based private equity firm Sycamore Partners, has signed a confidentiality agreement with Billabong to pursue a t
L.L. Bean Partners with Philadelphia Parks and Rec to Get Families Outdoors
Mayor Michael A. Nutter, Philadelphia Parks & Recreation and outdoor retailer L.L.Bean announced a new partnership to support programs that will allow more people, particularly children, to enjoy outdoor recreation in the city’s many parks and natur
Recreation and Entertainment Spending Accelerated in Third Quarter
Real spending on recreation and entertainment in the United States accelerated in the third quarter, increasing 7.9 percent from the second quarter, according to the latest figures the U.S. Department of Commerce…
Sierra Trading Post Acquired by The TJX Companies for $200 MM
Sierra Trading Post (STP), which has acted as a primary clearance outlet for outdoor sporting goods, has been acquired by The TJX Companies, Inc. The purchase price of approximately $200 million, or one times STP's annual sales, was paid in cash, fin
