SGB Update Apparel

Circana Taps into Kroger Executive Ranks to Find Next President and CEO
Stuart Aitken will join Circana on January 1, 2025 from Kroger, where he has served as chief merchant and marketing officer since 2019. He succeeds Kirk Perry, who has decided to retire from the role. He will remain a Board director.

Study: Consumers Are Returning to Brick & Mortar Stores Post-Election
Shoppers are returning to brick-and-mortar stores in significant numbers this holiday season amid a notable cutback in post-election seasonal spending, according to a new consumer survey by First Insight, a customer-driven AI-powered retail platform.

Hari Mari Appoints Chief Merchandising Officer
Kate White will lead its newly expanded merchandising arm. She most recently worked as the head of commercial merchandising for North America and Europe at Fossil Group.

Walmart de México y Centroamérica Celebrates Opening of 2,500th Bodega Aurrera
The new store, which joins the 31 stores that Bodega Aurrera operates in the state, has over 21,000 square feet and will generate over 50 new jobs.

Macy’s, Inc. Delays Q3 Results After Employee Hid More Than $132M of Delivery Expenses
A single employee with responsibility for small package delivery expense accounting intentionally made erroneous accounting accrual entries to hide approximately $132 million to $154 million of cumulative delivery expenses from Q4 2021 through Q3 2024.

USPS to Raise Rates in 2025 to Remain Competitive
The changes would raise shipping service prices by approximately 3.2 percent for Priority Mail and Priority Mail Express, 3.9 percent for USPS Ground Advantage, and 9.2 percent for Parcel Select.

Levi Strauss Continues Retail Expansion in Canada Ahead of Holiday Season
Store locations in Kelowna and Toronto will help expand Levi’s brand presence in British Columbia and Ontario, while a third store in Midtown Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, will be the first owned-and-operated location in the province

Puma Opens Las Vegas Flagship
Located in the heart of the Las Vegas strip, the store offers a “retail experience” with various immersive and interactive features, including a professional F1 racing simulator, an interactive arcade and a customization studio where customers can personalize apparel and footwear.

Ross Stores Sees Q3 Sales Growth Slow from Stronger First Half Trend
The CEO said the retailer needed to execute better but also cited a combination of severe weather during the quarter from Hurricanes Helene and Milton, along with unseasonably warm temperatures, that also negatively impacted results.

OluKai Opens First East Coast Location at Disney Springs, FL
The Disney Springs store will carry a curated assortment of OluKai active and island-inspired footwear.

The Buckle Posts Q3 Profit Decline on 3.2 Percent Sales Decline; E-Commerce Inches Up
Net income for the third quarter of fiscal 2024 was $44.2 million, or 88 cents per diluted share, compared with net income of $51.8 million, or $1.04 per diluted share in the prior-year third quarter.

Hydro Flask and Osprey Packs Parent Helen of Troy Expands Beauty Portfolio
Helen of Troy Limited, parent of the Hydro Flask, Osprey Packs and OXO businesses, has entered into a definitive merger agreement to acquire the business of Olive & June, LLC.

Topgolf Breaks Ground on Second Venue in Minnesota
This is the second venue in Minnesota for parent company Topgolf Callaway Brands Corp. in addition to an existing venue in Minneapolis’ Brooklyn Center.

Gildan Activewear Launches Private Offering of Senior Unsecured Notes
The company intends to use the net proceeds of the offering for the repayment of indebtedness outstanding under its credit facilities and other general corporate purposes.

TJX Adds Eight Sierra Locations in Q3; Has Big Merchandise Plans for Sierra E-Commerce
The company said it is well-positioned to take advantage of the outstanding availability in the marketplace and deliver an eclectic mix of exciting gifts to its stores and online throughout this holiday season. The CFO said they have some great merchandise plans for the U.S. e-commerce sites in the Sierra business.