SGB Update Apparel

Adidas’ Long-Time Chief Corporate Communication Officer to Retire
Jan Runau, Adidas’ chief corporate communication officer since 2006, announced his retirement. He began working for Adidas as a PR manager in Germany

Former Nike and Adidas Vet Named Levi’s Managing Director, Latin America
Dario Aguilar will lead Levi’s business as managing director for Latin America, effective December 2. Most recently he was the CEO of Sephora Mexico. Before that, he worked in various commercial leadership roles at Adidas and Nike across Latin America and Europe.

Wolverine Worldwide Appoints Susie Kuhn as Active Group President
Kuhn is responsible for leading brand strategies, consumer-focused go-to-market plans and driving commercial performance for WWW’s Active Group, which includes the Merrell, Saucony and Chaco brands.

VF Corporation Sees Fiscal Q2 Improvement But Americas Region Still a DD Drag
Revenue for the quarter amounted to $2.8 billion, down 6 percent year-over-year from the fiscal 2024 Q2 period. The company said the decline was a sequential improvement from the 10 percent decline in the fiscal 2025 first quarter.

Boot Barn Posts Another Strong Quarter; CEO to Exit to Ross Stores
Jim Conroy, the retailer’s CEO since 2012, is stepping down to assume the role of CEO of Ross Stores. John Hazen, Boot Barn’s chief digital officer, will assume the role of interim CEO.

Rural King Opens Newest Store in Hopkinsville, KY
The store boasts a wide range of outdoor lifestyle and work brands, including Ariat, Browning, Carhartt, Columbia, Frogg Toggs, Henry Rifles, Huk Apparel, Keen Utility, Plano, Realtree, Remington, Under Armour, and Wolverine.

Mammut Sports Group Taps Matt Kaplan as Managing Director for North America
In his new role, effective November 18, Matt Kaplan will oversee business operations in the U.S. and Canada. Most recently, Kaplan was vice president of sales at Vail Resorts.

Primark to Open Second Store in Queens, NY
The new 37,000-square-foot store at Queens Center in Elmhurst, NY will open on December 5. This is Primark’s second store in Queens, following its Jamaica Avenue location, and its tenth store in New York.

U.S. Golf Rounds Played Increase for Second Straight Month
Golf Datatech, a subsidiary of Circana, reported that golf rounds played in the U.S. increased 3.6 percent in September and are now ahead 1.7 percent in the first nine months of 2024.

RealReal Names New CEO
RealReal appointed Rati Sahi Levesque, the luxury resale marketplace’s president and COO, as CEO, effective immediately. Levesque succeeds John Koryl, who has departed from the company and no longer serves on the Board.
X-Bionic Secures Investment from Olympic Skier Marco Odermatt
X-Bionic reported that Olympic gold medalist and three-time Alpine World Cup champion Marco Odermatt has become an investor in the Swiss apparel specialist. The amount of the investment was undisclosed.

Adidas’ Debt Rating Outlook Upgraded as H1 Performance Exceeds Targets
S&P Global Ratings raised its debt ratings outlook on Adidas AG to stable from negative due to the company’s stronger-than-expected operating performance and its expectation that the brand’s growth momentum will continue.

K-Way Finds New Minority Equity Partner
Founded in 1965 in Paris by Leon Claude Duhamel, K-Way manufactures apparel, shoes and accessories for men, women and kids, including its iconic packable waterproof jacket, the “Claude,” with its distinctive colorful zip and logo inspired by the French national flag.

On Opens Flaghips in NYC and Chicago
Swiss-running brand On opened flagship stores in Chicago and New York City, bringing its store count in North America to eight. In 2020, the company opened its first global store in SoHo, a neighborhood in Lower Manhattan.

Columbia Brand Appoints Marketing Chief; Launches New Brand Vision
Matt Sutton, as senior vice president and head of marketing for the Columbia brand, was hired as the Columbia Brand has reportedly worked to bring a new strategic vision to life internally over the last few months.