SGB Update Apparel
Athleta’s Head of Strategy Joins Sur La Table as President
Sur La Table hired Dan Goldman, who most recently led brand strategy at Gap Inc’s Athleta and Banana Republic banners, as president. Prior to Gap, he held a similar role at The North Face.
Raleigh’s Runologie Shutters
Runologie, the running store in Raleigh, NC, has closed its location after just over 10 years in operation.
NRF Chief Economist to Transition to Senior Economic Advisor
The National Retail Federation announced that Jack Kleinhenz, NRF’s chief economist since 2010, is stepping down to serve in a new capacity as senior economic advisor. NRF Executive Director of Research Mark Mathews ill become NRF’s new chief economist while continuing to lead the research team.

Lululemon Opens First Store in Italy
Located at Vittorio Emanuele II 24/28, the store spans roughly 5,700 square feet across two floors and officially opens July 19. The store’s product line supports yoga, running, training, tennis, and golf.
June Retail Sales Top Expectations
Retail sales rose a better-than-expected 0.6 percent in June versus May, the Commerce Department reported, after two consecutive months of spending declines. June’s number topped the 0.2 percent gain economists projected in a FactSet poll.

NOCSAE Finalizes First Performance Standard for Youth Football Helmets
The standard is the result of over 10 years of NOCSAE-led effort and funding to support scientific research, testing, and analysis to establish sufficient youth-specific data and testing criteria necessary to develop the standard.

NRF’s Chief Economist Transitions to Senior Economic Advisor
The National Retail Federation announced on Thursday, July 17, that Jack Kleinhenz, NRF’s chief economist since 2010, is stepping down to serve in a new capacity as senior economic advisor. NRF Executive Director of Research Mark Mathews will become NRF’s new chief economist while continuing to lead the research team.

Nike’s Artificial Intelligence VP is Departing
Jason Loveland, Nike Inc’s VP of enterprise AI/ML engineering, is exiting his post as Nike confirmed layoffs in May at its technology division as part of a broader restructuring.
Saks Global Appoints CFO
Saks Global appointed Brandy Richardson, formerly at Tailored Brands and Neiman Marcus, as chief financial officer, effective August 18.

New Era to Open New York City Flagship
New Era is opening a flagship store this summer in New York City’s Soho district. The store will represent compamy’s only other flagship store, outside of its hometown of Buffalo, NY.

Nordstrom Inc. Appoints New Chief Financial Officer
Kelly Dilts joins Nordstrom from Dollar General where she has served as executive vice president and chief financial officer since 2023. Her appointment is effective August 29.

Next Level Apparel’s Debt Ratings Downgraded by Moody’s
Moody’s lowered the debt ratings of YS Garments LLC, doing business as Next Level Apparel due to refinance risk associated the Torrance, CA-based clothing company’s revolver due February 2026 and its term loan due August 2026.

Bombas Promotes Jason LaRose to CEO; David Heath Moves to Executive Chair
Company President Jason LaRose, a former Under Armour executive, to CEO. Bombas Co-Founder David Heath becomes executive chair. LaRose is responsible for expanding Bombas beyond direct-to-consumer, with only 7 percent of revenues currently coming from wholesale.

Kohl’s Appoints JD Sports Exec as Chief Digital Officer
Arianne Parisi, most recently chief digital officer for JD Sports Fashion Plc, has been named the retailer’s chief digital officer. Starting on July 28, Parisi will join the company’s executive leadership team and report directly to Interim CEO Michael Bender.

Lululemon Inks Franchise Partner to Enter Market in India
The collaboration will see LULU launch its first retail store in the country in addition to having a dedicated e-commerce presence on both Tata CLiQ Luxury and Tata CLiQ Fashion platforms.