SGB Update Apparel

SIMA Appoints President
The Surf Industry Manufacturers Association (SIMA) announced the results of its Board of Directors Elections for the term beginning January 2021 and ending December 2022, including Paul Naudé being reelected to serve as Board president.

Merchandiser From Urban Outfitters Joins NTWRK
NTWRK, the youth culture e-commerce and content platform, announced the appointment of Colby Black, former executive director of buying and marketplace at Urban Outfitters, as chief merchandising officer.

Surfline Hires Marketing Executive From Apple
Surfline\Wavetrak Inc., the company behind ocean forecasting service Surfline, announced the appointment of Kim Centeno head of marketing. Centeno joins Surfline from Apple, where she most recently led marketing for subscription services, including Apple Arcade.

Nordstrom’s Holiday Sales Slump 22 Percent
Nordstrom Inc. announced a net sales decline of approximately 22 percent for the nine-week holiday period ended January 2, 2021, compared with the nine weeks ended January 4, 2020. Digital sales grew 23 percent. Sequential sales improved, in-line with company expectations, adjusting for Anniversary shift.

Orva Secures Investment
Trilantic North America closed on an investment in Orva, a 3P authorized retail partner for footwear, apparel and equipment brands selling on Amazon, Walmart and other direct-to-consumer channels.

SylvanSport Appoints Finance Director
SylvanSport is expanding its team, most recently with the hire of Finance Director Lisa Drake. Drake previously worked as Finance Director in the manufacturing and hospitality industries.

Target’s Holiday Same-Store Sales Climb 17 Percent
Target Corporation announced that comparable sales in the combined November/December period grew 17.2 percent, driven by a 4.3 percent increase in traffic and a 12.3 percent increase in average ticket sales. Store-originated comparable sales grew 4.2 percent, while comparable digital sales grew 102 percent.

Big 5 Raises Q4 Guidance On Robust Holiday Sales
Big 5 Sporting Goods Corp. raised its earnings guidance for the fourth quarter ended January 3 as same-store sales grew 10.5 percent in the period on improving merchandise margins. Said Steven Miller, president and CEO, “As we enter a new year, we are confident that our product offerings will continue to attract customers who are looking to stay healthy and active.”

Pro:Direct Sport Extends Contract With Unipart Logistics
Pro:Direct Sport has extended its contract for five years with Unipart Logistics to support warehouse and distribution services for end customers across its U.S. market.

Artilect Appoints Director Of Technical Design And Development
Artilect, a new action/outdoor brand, announced that Sonia Lunardon has joined its team in the role of director of technical design and development. She was at The North Face.

Urban Outfitters Announces Leadership Changes
Urban Outfitters Inc. reporting a challenging holiday quarter and a planned exit for the CEO of its namesake brand.

Grundéns Appoints VP, Marketing
Grundéns announced the hiring of Ashley Williams as vice president of marketing. Williams most recently served as senior director global marketing for Keen and vice president of marketing for Amer Sports Americas.

Lululemon Hires Nike Veteran As Head Merchant
Lululemon appointed Blanca Gonzalez as SVP, global merchandising, effective February 1. Gonzalez had been at Nike for nearly 20 years and was, most recently, VP and GM of Nike North America’s Los Angeles/West territory.

Lodging In Southeast Destinations Seeing Mixed Performance This Winter Season
Although the Southeast region has weathered much of the pandemic better than other parts of the U.S., including posting a strong December, indicators are pointing to a slowdown in lodging occupancy in the months ahead according to data released yesterday by DestiMetrics.

Dick’s SG To Open Destination Stores In New York And Tennessee
Dick’s Sporting Goods plans to open its first experiential store at Eastview Mall in Victor, NY in March and another in West Town Hall in Knoxville, TN in May. The store in Victor will include a 17,000-square-foot outside turf field to accommodate practices, community events, and other sports-related outdoor offerings.