Finish Line’s Q3 Comps Climb 10.1%
The Finish Line, Inc. reported sales rose 8.7% in its third quarter ended Nov. 27, to $260.9 million from $240.1 million a year ago. Comparable store net sales increased 10.1% compared to an increase of 1.7% a year ago. Earnings would have been up signifi
Industry Vendors See Profit Growth Slow in Q3
The theme for the fiscal second quarter may have been “tighten, tighten, tighten” as sporting goods industry vendors focused on bottom line growth, but the trends for the third quarter have settled into a more normalized pre-recession pattern
Yakima Acquires Hubco Automotive in Step Toward Global Expansion
Yakima has acquired Hubco Automotive Ltd, the New Zealand maker of Whispbar, a rapidly growing vehicle roof rack system that uses aero bars to reduce the noise and improve the styling of such products…
NRF Upgrades Holiday Forecast
With a solid start to the season, the National Retail Federation last week revised its holiday forecast to 3.3%, up from 2.3%. The revision is due to improvement in a variety of economic indicators including stock market gains, recent income growth, savin
Platinum Equity Closes Schutt Sports Acquisition
Platinum Equity received bankruptcy court approval of its acquisition of Schutt Sports. U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Kevin J. Carey had indicated he would approve the sale once final language has been drafted after ruling that the auction process was fair. Rober
New Balance Partners with Westin Hotels
New Balance and Westin Hotels & Resorts have forged an exclusive, worldwide partnership to provide Westin guests with New Balance footwear, apparel and fitness program content. The complimentary program recently launched at 10 Westin properties across the
Hincapie Hires GM to Guide Expansion
Hincapie Sportswear hired James Samuel as the company's new GM to grow retail distribution. Samuel, who had worked at Spyder's Cloudveil unit, will oversee every aspect of the cycling apparel brand to help the company grow nationally and interna
Polartec Awards Appalachian State Outdoor Programs $10,000
Polartec announced Appalachian State University as the winner of its Made Possible College Challenge this week. The contest, which began in early October, was aimed at promoting collegiate outdoor programs, with the winner receiving a $10,000 grant and Po
Seattle Startup Targets Retailers with Custom Bottles
Seattle start-up MiiR Bottles will provide customized stainless steel water bottles to Seattle retailer evo for sale online and within the retail store. Miir Bottles said it is using new technology that makes it easier to customize bottle designs to help
Dynamic Brands Hires Sales and Marketing Coordinator
Dynamic Brands, the parent Company for Bag Boy, Burton, Datrek, Devant and Sir Christopher Hatton, announced that golf industry professional Lizzie Leasure has been named the company's sales and marketing coordinator for the golf division…
Genesco, Inc. Reports Network Breach; Consumer Info May Have Been Stolen
Genesco Inc., the parent of Journeys and Hat World, said information on credit cards used at its stores may have been taken in a “criminal” intrusion into its computer network…
Cybex Chairman Calls $66M Verdict an Injustice
In a letter to shareholders, John Aglialoro, Chairman & CEO at Cybex, strongly defended itself against a devestating $66 million product liability verdict against the company, calling it “another example of a “tort system run amok.” Wrote Aglialoro, “It i
Polar Bottle Moves to New Facility
Product Architects, Inc., maker of the Polar Bottle, has moved to a new location, just down the road from its original headquarters in Boulder, CO. The company's new facility is twice the size of the old space and consolidates all Polar Bottle operat
Keen Footwear Opens Plant in Portland
Keen Footwear has opened a small factory in Portland with plans to make a small portion of its product in the U.S. James Curleigh, Keen's chief executive, told the Oregonian, “It's not so much flying our flag in America. It's about having s
SIA: August to October Snowsports Dollar Sales up 2%
Year-over-year snow sports equipment sales were up while apparel sales were lagging headed into November, according to the Snowsports Industries America topline report for the August through October period. Overall, sales for the period came in 1% ahead
