SGB Update Apparel

Adidas Invests In Finnish Sustainable Fiber Firm Spinnova
Adidas is investing €3 million ($3.65m) in Spinnova, a Finnish brand that makes textile fiber out of agricultural waste.

Fanatics Partners With University Of Tennessee
Fanatics and the University of Tennessee announced an exclusive retail partnership where Fanatics will be a primary retail partner of the University with a comprehensive set of vertical and wholesale fan apparel rights.

Craft Sportswear Partners With Spartan Trail And Tough Mudder
Swedish-based Craft Sportswear has expanded its relationship with Spartan by adding its designation of official “performance apparel and footwear” partner of the brand’s Obstacle Course Racing (OCR) entity to Spartan Trail and Tough Mudder.

Amazon And HanesBrands File Joint Lawsuits Against Infringers Of Champion Trademarks
Amazon.com Inc., together with HanesBrands Inc., jointly filed 13 lawsuits against 17 defendants for selling silicone protective earbud case covers that illegally bear HanesBrands registered Champion trademark.

Back-To-School Sales Expected To Climb 5.5 Percent
According to Mastercard SpendingPulse, U.S. retail sales are expected to grow 5.5 percent during the critical July 15 through September 6 back-to-school period compared to 2020. Compared to 2019, sales are expected to grow 6.7 percent. The biggest year-over-year gains are expected from apparel, up 78.2 percent; and department stores, up 25.3 percent.

Report: Sequential Brands Exploring Bankruptcy Protection To Sell Assets
Sequential Brands Group Inc. is close to reaching a deal with lenders to file for bankruptcy protection in order to divest its portfolio of brands or sell the company, according to a report from Bloomberg. The company’s brands include AND1, Gaiam, SPRI and Avia.

Burlington Stores’ Debt Upgraded By S&P
S&P Global Ratings raised its issuer credit rating on Burlington Stores to ‘BB+’ from ‘BB’ as the off-price retailer’s sales continue to recover strongly as the U.S. emerges from the pandemic.

TJX’s Debt Ratings Upgraded
Moody’s Investors Service affirmed TJX Companies, Inc.’s senior unsecured rating at A2 and commercial paper rating at Prime-1. The rating outlook was changed to stable from negative.

Tilly’s Declares Special Dividend
Tilly’s Inc. announced today that its Board of Directors has declared a special cash dividend of $1.00 per share, or up to approximately $31 million in the aggregate, on the company’s outstanding Class A and Class B common stock.

Former Tapestry CEO Invests In Moose Knuckles
Moose Knuckles, the Canadian luxury outerwear and sportswear brand, announced that Victor Luis, formerly Tapestry Inc. CEO, has become an investor and executive chairman.
National Retail Federation Boosts Annual Forecast
The National Retail Federation raised its outlook for the retail industry for the year as the economy accelerates its pace of recovery. Retail sales are expected to grow between 10.5 percent and 13.5 percent to an estimated total of $4.44 trillion to $4.56 trillion in 2021.

Cotopaxi x Nemo Partner With Trove And REI Offering Gently Used Outdoor Gear
Cotopaxi and Nemo announced the launch of a new trade-in recommerce program with Trove and REI to give customers more used gear options.

Rally House Opens Thirteenth Store In Texas
Rally House is expanding into the Lone Star state with the second location in the Frisco area.

Delta Apparel Acquires Autoscale.ai
Delta Apparel Inc. announced it has acquired Dallas-based technology company, Autoscale.ai, to further leverage its existing proprietary automated product workflow from design to fulfillment.

Rally House Opens First Store In Iowa
Rally House is expanding to Iowa and opening its first store in West Des Moines.