Bain Forecasts Record Black Friday/Cyber Monday Sales
U.S. retail sales over Black Friday – Cyber Monday (BFCM) weekend may set a new record, surpassing $75 billion in sales, according to a forecast from Bain & Company. The weekend is expected to deliver year-over-year growth of around 5 percent, outpacing Bain’s overall holiday sales growth forecast of 3 percent for the entire holiday season.
Sqairz Secures Strategic Investment to Expand Across Sports
Golf footwear upstart Sqairz announced a “significant” strategic investment from Thirty-5 Capital. The funding will be used to help Sqairz expand across multiple sports, including baseball and pickleball.
EXEC: JD Sports Reports Fidelity Subsidiaries Fall Below 5 Percent Voting Rights
FMR LLC has seen its voting rights percentage fall below the 5 percent threshold for reporting purposes to 4.95 percent of JD voting rights. JD Sports is the parent of the JD, Hibbett, Finish Line, DTLR, and Shoe Palace retail brands in the U.S.
Accell Group Undergoes Debt Restructuring
Backed by Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co (KKR), Accell Group agreed to a restructuring that writes off 40 percent of its debt and will see its liabilities at the operating group level cut to €800 million ($881 million) from €1.4 billion, with maturities extended through to 2030.
Association of Golf Merchandisers Adds Vendor Advisory Board Member
Susan Shade is an industry veteran with over 30 years of professional management experience in apparel, golf, fitness, and e-commerce. At Tharanco Lifestyles, Shade oversees the golf division, which includes distributing the Greg Norman Collection to over 50 countries.
Malbon Golf Hires Ex-Nike Exec as CEO
Heiser worked for Nike for over 17 years before leaving the company in September 2023. As CEO of Malbon Golf, Heiser will work closely with Founders Stephen and Erica Malbon, who will continue as co-chief creative officers and board members.
Crunch Fitness Updates and Adds to Its Florida Franchisee Operation
The CR Fitness team updating two Fort Myers locations and opening an Apollo Beach gym in Florida currently operates 69 Crunch Fitness locations in Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, Texas and Tennessee, with plans to open 6 more locations in 2024.
NuOrder by Lightspeed Appoints New Head of Revenue
Chris Akrimi, most recently, was the CEO of The Layer, a tech company that “transforms commerce data through AI. ” There, he focused on positioning the company at the “forefront of AI-driven product data management.”
Adidas’ UK Sales Fall 9 Percent in 2023
Companywide, Adidas’ sales in 2023 declined 5 percent to €21.4 billion in Euro terms with flat currency-neutral revenues. The discontinuation of the Yeezy business represented a drag of around €500 million on the year-over-year comparison during 2023.
Health & Fitness Association Hires Communication Coordinator
The Health & Fitness Association, formerly IHRSA, hired Kelsi Steinkamp as its communication coordinator.
Long-Time Nike Board Member Douglas Houser Passes Away
Douglas Houser, an attorney who incorporated Nike and served on the company’s Board of Directors for 50 years, passed away at the age of 89.
S&S Activewear Completes Acquisition of Alphabroder
S&S Activewear completed the purchase of Alphabroder, uniting two branded apparel distributors to support customers and suppliers across corporate and consumer markets.
On Brand to Open First Australian Store
The 390-square-meter flagship store draws inspiration from Melbourne’s “urban landscape,” is is the company’s 42nd globally.
Planet Fitness Offers Free Visits To Those Impacted by Hurricane Helene
Planet Fitness is opening its doors to anyone impacted by Hurricane Helene, allowing them to use select locations free of charge.
26North Acquires Onelife Fitness
Onelife Fitness was acquired by 26North from Delos Capital. The fitness company has locations across the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern U.S.
