EXEC: American Outdoor Brands Execs More Bullish on Future After Retail Line Reviews
The company is betting big on recent positive pre-line meetings and is bullish enough to not only raise guidance for fiscal 2025 ending April 2025, but also lay out solid top-line numbers for fiscal 2026.
Academy Sports and Outdoors Board Approves New Share Repurchase Program
This new share repurchase program totaling $700 million replaces the preceding share repurchase program, of which $423 million remained as of the end of the third quarter, and is effective as of December 4, 2024, for a period of three years.
Hicks Inc. to Distribute X-Vision Optics
This partnership ensures more retailers and consumers can access X-Vision Optics’ advanced technology while serving the outdoor community.
Duluth Trading Cites Weaker Web Conversion Rates, Slower Store Traffic, in Q3 Miss
The company said it saw growth in its average order value and a double-digit increase in digital traffic, but it was not enough to offset the year-over-year contraction in transactions. Top line trends improved leading into Black Friday week and continued through cyber Monday.
Silencer Central Breaks Ground on New Facility
The 60,000-square-foot facility will house inventory and distribution lines for all Silencer Central products and research and development infrastructure, including an indoor shooting range.
Liberty Ammunition Partners with Odle Sales Nationwide
Odle Sales is a manufacturer’s rep agency with experience in ammunition for the commercial and law enforcement markets. The company has 40 professionals on its team, including law enforcement.
Famous Footwear Parent Cuts Full Year Guidance as Weak YTD Trends Flow into Q4
The parent company of Famous Footwear and the Naturalizer, Vionic, Allen Edmonds, Blowfish Malibu, and Sam Edelman brands is the latest retailer to reduce its full-year guidance as sales and earnings came in under expectations.
Salesforce: Global Online Sales Reach All-Time High of $315B During Cyber Week
The company said data analyzed for the Cyber Week period revealed a record $314.9 billion in global online sales, with U.S. consumers contributing $76 billion of the total number.
Rapala VMC Hires Regional Sales Manager for Eastern U.S., Sourth Central Territories
As the company’s new Regional Sales Manager, Pete Przepiora is focused on the Eastern U.S., Texas, Arkansas, Louisiana, and Oklahoma, working with Rapala VMC’s retail partners and distributors.
Report: Footwear and Apparel Among Bright Spots for Weaker Store Traffic
“Categories like Apparel, Footwear, and Jewelry saw notable traffic increases on the Saturday following Black Friday, indicating that consumers are spreading out their purchases, revealing a shift in shopping behavior, with extended promotions allowing for more flexibility and reducing reliance on Black Friday.
NRF Reports Thanksgiving Weekend Shopper Numbers Fell Short of 2023 Comp Period
The five-day holiday weekend from Thanksgiving Day through Cyber Monday saw an estimated 197.0 million shoppers, reportedly the second highest number in the NRF’s survey’s history after last year’s record of 200.4 million shoppers—exceeding its initial forecast of 183.4 million.
Thermore Appoints VP of Global Marketing and Communications
Laura Beachy has been appointed VP of global marketing and communications. She joins Thermore from Hyla Strategies, a NYC-based boutique marketing firm, where she served as a managing partner since 2014.
NSSF: NICS Background Checks Down 9.8 Percent for Thanksgiving Week
NSSF said it has worked with firearm retailers to spread out special sales offers to customers throughout the week leading up to Black Friday so as not to overwhelm FBI NICS on a single day, which can result in longer than normal wait times.
Academy Sports + Outdoors Opens Five New Stores to Finish Out 2024
New stores opened in Bradenton, FL; Yulee, FL; Searcy, AR; Meridian, MS; and Corsicana, TX. Overall, Academy continued its expansion in 2024 by opening 16 new stores during the year across ten states, including its first locations in Ohio.
Mastercard SpendingPulse: Black Friday Sales Grow 3.4 Percent; E-Commerce Up 15 Percent
The firm reported that their data indicated online retail (e-commerce) sales increased 14.6 percent, while In-store (brick & mortar) sales were up a more modest 0.7 percent, compared to Black Friday last year.
