SGB Update Apparel
Puma Acquires Stake in Dobotex
Puma AG will take a majority stake in Dutch company Dobotex as of January 1, 2009. In a brief statement, the company, based in Herzogenaurach, Germany, did not indicate the size of the stake or the terms of the deal…
Adidas Buys Sensor Company
Physic Ventures announced that adidas International, Inc. has acquired Textronics, Inc. a developer of wearable sensors for use in fitness monitoring…
Bally Total Fitness Files for Chapter 11
Bally Total Fitness Corporation filed for voluntary Chapter 11 Bankruptcy Protection in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York. Bally intends to use the Chapter 11 process to significantly reduce debt from its balance sheet while
Is This Really Christmas Spirit?
When SportsOneSource reported in late October that adidas planned to cut costs by implementing a hiring freeze and scrubbing plans for year-end parties, the brain trust at Sole Technologies, manufacturers of Etnies, Emerica and eS footwear, among other br
Johnson Outdoors Whipsawed by Tough Economy
Johnson Outdoors has suspended dividend payments and will double its cost cutting efforts to prepare for a tough 2009 in the wake of a $51.7 million fourth quarter operating loss…
Flip Skateboards Shifts Distribution Partner
Flip Skateboards, Inc. has finalized a buy-out deal from a long term distribution agreement with Blitz Distribution, Inc. Effective immediately, the company has relocated the sales and distribution of its brand to NHS, Inc., in Santa Cruz, CA…
Billabong Cuts EPS Forecast on Weakening U.S. Sales
Billabong International Limited nearly halved its guidance on EPS growth for fiscal 2008-09 from 12% to 16% EPS growth down to 6% to 10% due to further deterioration in consumer sales, primarily in the U.S. The revised guidance implies full year sales gro
Long Beach Port Delays and Lowers New Container Fee
The Port of Long Beach has announced it will delay until at least July 1, 2009 a fee on 20-foot equivalent containers that was set to go into effect Jan. 1, 2009. Additionally, the port will lower the fee from $15 to $6. The Port of Los Angeles is expecte
Zumiez Comps Fall 15% in November
Zumiez Inc. reported a 15% decline in November comps on a day when mainly only discount/mass retailers managed to see comps improve as consumers seek out values and deals. Last year, Zumiez’s comps increased 5.6%. The company's total net sales for th
Columbia Adds More Footwear Weight
Kirk Richardson, who took the reins at Keen when ownership moved to Portland, OR, has been named general manager of footwear at Columbia Sportswear Company…
prAna Taps Crooke as New Chief Executive
Veteran outdoor executive Michael Crooke was named CEO at prAna Living, LLC last week in a move that should free up co-founder Beaver Theodosakis to focus more on product design and the future…
Co-Founder Leaves Native Eyewear
George Schott, one of the original founders and the current VP of sales and marketing for Native Eyewear, has announced he will leave the company, effective Jan. 16, 2009. Schott said he was leaving to pursue other avenues outside of the sales field…
Nielsen and OIA to Survey Retailers on OR Show
Outdoor Retailer and Outdoor Industry Association will launch a four-week online survey to gather retailer's suggestions on improving the Outdoor Retailer Summer Market trade show…
Confluence Hires CFO, IT Director
Confluence Watersports has appointed Jim Berwick as VP and CFO and Kelly Hemphill as director of IT. Berwick is overseeing the areas of finance, IT, distribution and logistics, and customer service. He has more than 20 years of consumer products experienc
Co-Founder Sullivan Named Cloudveil President
Cloudveil named Co-Founder Stephen Sullivan president of the company following the resignation of Co-Founder and President Brian Cousins. Cousins leaves Cloudveil after helping to complete its integration with parent company Spyder Active Sports to pursue
