SGB Update Apparel
Piper Sandler Survey Reveals Nike, Lululemon and Stanley Losing Teen Mindshare
The latest Piper Sandler Taking Stock With Teens survey for spring 2025 found Ugg has moved up the most (two spots with 4-points in share gains year-over-year), followed by On Running (two spots with 1-point in share gains year-over-year).
NRF Expected Cargo Traffic to Drop Dramatically Before Latest Tariff Moves
The latest Global Port Tracker report released on April 9 by the NRF and Hackett Associates suggests cargo traffic will drop dramatically beginning next month; however, that outlook might change given the changes in the tariff picture.
Costco Sees March Comps Grow 9.1 Percent x-Gas; E-Commerce Up High Teens
Costco reported net sales of $25.5 billion for the retail month of March, the five weeks ended April 6, 2025, an increase of 8.6 percent from $23.5 billion in fiscal March last year.
Fleet Feet Franchisee to Open Third North Carolina Store in Jacksonville
Michelle Fogle opened her first Fleet Feet store at the Forum Shopping Center in Wilmington, NC 10 years ago, followed by a second Wilmington location two years ago.
GoPro Expanding Board with Active Outdoor Lifestyle Brand Veterans
Appointee Mick Lopez held leadership roles at Vista Outdoors. Nominee Mike Dennison is currently CEO of Fox Factory and serves on the Boards of Fox Factory Holding Corp. and Solo Brands, Inc. and nominee Emily Culp serves on the Board of Stio.
The Athlete’s Foot Promotes Matt Lafone to CEO
Matt Lafone, president and GM of Americas, takes the helm as global CEO, steering TAF toward a unified vision with new operational and innovation strategies.
Former Puma CEO Jochen Zeitz to Exit Harley Davidson Leadership Role
The Board of Directors of Harley-Davidson, Inc. has confirmed that it is currently engaged in an ongoing CEO search process as part of the Board’s succession planning responsibilities.
VF Corp. Promotes Abhishek Dalmia to EVP and Chief Operating Officer
The company’s Board of Directors has named Dalmia as EVP and chief operating officer and principal operating officer, effective April 3, 2025. He has served as EVP and chief strategy, transformation and digital officer since March 2024.
SuperX Appoints Ryan DeLuca to Advisory Board
Through official partnerships with Marvel, Star Wars, Mortal Kombat, DC Comics, Hasbro, Ubisoft, Disney, and more, SuperX is going from a niche brand focused on creating superhero activewear to being recognized as a collaborative fitness brand for pop culture.
Puma SE Promotes Tara McRae to President of North America Unit
McRae, who previously led Puma’s marketing and brand strategy in North America, will assume the role immediately, replacing Bob Philion, who leaves the company after 20 years, including eights years as North America president.
BDA Promotes Former Nordstrom Exec to Divisional VP of Program Management
Bensussen Deutsch & Associates, LLC (BDA) is the largest, independently owned branded merchandise agency with operations in over 50 locations worldwide. With a proven record of building large e-commerce solutions, Lisa Battistoni’s expertise will drive innovation and optimize BDA’s digital offerings.
Duluth Trading Welcomes Stephanie Pugliese Back as President and CEO
Pugliese replaces outgoing CEO Sam Soto, who announced last week he was leaving the business. She first joined Duluth Trading in November 2008 as VP of product and merchandising, and was promoted continuosly until assuming the CEO role in 2015, a role she served in until 2019.
Simms Fishing Launches Resale Program for Pre-Owned Gear
Launching first as a peer-to-peer (P2P) marketplace, Simms Recast allows the broader angling community to buy and sell pre-owned Simms gear direct with one another.
NRF: Consumer Spending Not Unraveling; Retail Sales Growth to Continue in 2025
The association’s 2025 sales forecast compares with 3.6 percent annual sales growth to $5.29 trillion dollars in 2024. This year’s forecast also aligns with the 10-year pre-pandemic average annual sales growth of 3.6 percent.
Off Season Apparel Brand Names Fanatics and NBA Veteran Exec as President
U.S. luxury sportswear brand Off Season, launched in collaboration with Fanatics and the NFL in January 2025, has appointed Victoria Picca as president.
