GCI Outdoor and RIO Brands Launch Integrity Outdoor Brands
GCI Outdoor Inc. and RIO Brands have launched Integrity Outdoor Brands, a joint venture bringing GCI Outdoor together with RIO Adventure and San Angelo, the sporting goods and hunting divisions of RIO Brands…
SanMar Partners with OGIO in Promotional Channel
SanMar Corp., a supplier of imprintable apparel and accessories, entered into an agreement to gain exclusive distribution of all 54 OGIO products available in the promotional products industry. While SanMar previously carried select OGIO styles, beginning
Sport Footwear Falls Short of Holiday Growth
After many of the publicly traded retailers reported last week, the Holiday 2008 retail business proved to be as disappointing as analysts and prognosticators had forecast. Though anecdotal evidence from much of specialty retail held slightly better resul
SRI Sports Sales Jump on Boost from Cleveland Acquisition
SRI Sports., the new parent company to Srixon and Cleveland Golf, had a strong first three quarters of fiscal 2008 as the addition of the Cleveland business to the sales numbers has more than offset minor declines in smaller divisions. Nonetheless, the co
OR Winter Market Attendance Down 5%
Preliminary show numbers at the Outdoor Retailer Winter Market trade show indicate the softening of the market did effect show numbers both in the number of attendees (approx. 16,500 attendees) and sold floor space (330,000 net-sold, square-feet). The ove
KEEN Creates New Global Business Development Position
KEEN Inc., announced the appointment of Troy Ballard to the newly formed position of VP of Global Business Development. This role essentially replaces the traditional VP Sales Role to take into consideration the emerging dynamics of the global market…
Oboz Hires New Rockies Reps
Oboz footwear has tapped Eric Miller and Megan Chain of The Raven Workshop to drive sales in Utah, Colorado, Wyoming and New Mexico. Miller and Chain also represent Ibex, Westcomb, and Dakine…
Skullcandy Europe appoints KAOS for Pan-European PR
Skullcandy Europe has appointed action sports and music integrated agency KAOS following a four-way pitch. KAOS will be focused on Pan-European PR for core/action sports, music and lifestyle digital and press media. KAOS’ action sports marketing and creat
Payless ShoeSource Earns PETA Award
Payless ShoeSource has won the Best New Shoe Line category in PETA's sixth annual Proggy Awards for creating the “first-ever affordable green footwear line” that doesn't contain any leather. Payless will receive a framed certificate and will be
Industry Tightens its Belt for Year Ahead
Industry companies hit the road last week in hopes of drumming up some new investment dollars during a time of difficult trading conditions. The two big conferences for the active sports lifestyle market were the ICR Xchange Conference in Dana Point, CA a
SGB Question Asks: ‘What Happens When Industry Brands Go to Mass?”
The SGB Question for January explored the overall effect the sale of sporting goods brands to club/discount/mass is having on the industry. Many of the industry's core brands can be increasingly found at Costco, Wal-Mart, Target, Meijer, T.J. Maxx, a
Sport Chalet Amends Credit Line
On January 9, Sport Chalet Inc. amended its credit agreement with lenders led by Bank of America to loosen its terms, according to a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The filing noted that as of December 31, an event of default had occurre
Tubbs Names National Sales Manager
K2 Sports said Jeff Cunningham has been hired as national sales manager for Tubbs Snowshoes. Most recently he was Eastern Key Account Manager for Gramicci and prior to that, marketing director and national sales manager for Mammut Sports group. Cunningham
ForeFront Group Names Director Of Marketing
ForeFront Group, Inc. has named Scott Harris as its new director of marketing. In his new position, Harris will be responsible for overseeing all marketing and branding initiatives for the Datrek, Burton, Devant and Miller Golf brands…
Forzani Sees Flat Holiday Sales
The Forzani Group Ltd. reported total sales for the ten weeks ended Jan. 11 were flat to the prior year. On a same store basis, total retail system sales were down 1.8%, although sales were stronger in the week before and the week after Christmas. Corpora
