SGB Update Apparel
Sherwood-Drolet Under New Ownership
Investment firm Carpe Diem Growth Capital acquired Canada-based Sherwood-Drolet Inc., maker of Sher-Wood and SWD branded hockey sticks, in bankruptcy proceedings. Carpe Diem renamed the business Sher-Wood Hockey Inc., and appointed Ralph Trott, a former e
The Secrets of Experienced Shoe Fit Experts
Ten Tips for offering top-notch service to footwear consumers.
One of the great forces driving footwear retailing right now is the customer’s quest for comfort. Many people, especially Baby Boomers, are no longer willing to wear shoes that they find uncom
The Web’s Direct Effect on Consumers
Deep inside the numbers reflected in the 2008 “How America Shops” study lies an interesting opportunity for retailers that have an Internet presence of their own. The key is to convert the customers that use the Internet for research to buy in-store or bu
For American Shoppers, Price Takes the Lead
The 2008 “How America Shops” study, developed by The SportsOneSource Group, measures the factors that influence where consumers shop and what drives them to buy. The report found that price has become the number one motivating factor in determining where
Shoppers Move to Extremes
With the 2008 “How America Shops” study from The SportsOneSource Group now complete, a clear trend has emerged that suggests consumers, now more than ever, are looking for the best price when deciding where and how to shop for footwear…
K-Swiss Steps Into Customized Footwear
In a nod to both versatility and performance, K-Swiss is now launching miSOUL, a customizable and interchangeable modular insole/midsole system. The technology will first be offered in performance tennis shoes in January 2009, and in performance running s
SGMA Survey: Americans Delusional Over Their Health…
Despite widespread concerns over obesity, diabetes and other health issues, most Americans believe they are in better-than-average health for their age. According to the SGMA’s “2008 State of the Industry Consumer Survey,” the industry faces an uphill bat
Golfsmith’s Thompson to Steer Performance, Inc.
Bicycle retailer Performance, Inc. has named Jim Thompson—who previously guided Golfsmith International Holdings Inc. through its IPO—as CEO. Performance’s annual sales are an estimated $225 million, and Thompson sees substantial growth ahead for the mult
Horny Toad Acquires Nau Assets
Lifestyle apparel maker Horny Toad has acquired the Nau outdoor brand, including its trademark, URL, and all intellectual property such as product designs. In addition, the company acquired the physical assets of Nau’s design offices for an undisclosed su
Timberland Sells GoLite to Former Exec
On June 13, New England Footwear LLC closed a deal to acquire the GoLite footwear business from Timberland. Douglas Clark, who was previously VP of Timberland’s Invention Factory, formed Portsmouth, NH-based New England Footwear two weeks prior to the dea
Lands’ End Exec Named Under Armour President
David McCreight, most recently president of Lands’ End, was named president of Under Armour Inc. He is expected to join Under Armour in September and will be responsible for developing and executing long-term growth strategy, implementing new practices to
Brine Relocates to Warrior Facilities
New Balance is closing its Brine operations in Milford, MA, to help consolidate operations and better utilize resources within its two lacrosse divisions…
Yue Yuen Reports Second Quarter Revenues Jump 23.5%…
Yue Yuen Industrial Ltd. reported second quarter sales jumped 23.5% to $1.66 billion from $944.5 million a year ago. For the period ended March 31, athletic footwear sales, its largest category, climbed 23% to $668.1 million. Also seeing strong growth wa
Finish Line Starts New Year with Better Than Expected Results…
After a tough year maligned by the botched acquisition of Genesco Inc. as well as sluggish footwear sales, The Finish Line finally delivered some good news last week with better than expected results for its fiscal first quarter ended May 31. A surge in
Retailers Take Price Increases in Stride for Spring/Summer 2009…
With deadlines for pre-season discounts on spring/summer 2009 product falling over the next two weeks, outdoor specialty retailers appear to be taking the largest wave of price increases in years in stride – in part because they were not as bad as anticip
