SGB Update Apparel
New Outdoor Trade Show Set to Debut in February
The Cascade Summit Show, the outdoor industry’s newest trade show, is scheduled for February 4-6, 2026, at the Premier Gear & Machine Works building in Northwest Portland.
Puma India’s Managing Director Steps Down
Puma India’s managing director, Karthik Balagopalan, has stepped down to focus on family matters in Germany, effective immediately. Puma said a successor would be announced soon.
Gildan Activewear’s Q3 Earnings Boosted by Margin Improvement, Activewear Gains
Gildan Activewear, Inc. reported earnings per share on an adjusted basis grew 17.6 percent as margins benefited from lower manufacturing costs, complemented by price increases to offset U.S. tariffs. Sales increased 2.2 percent, led by a 5.4 percent gain in activewear.
ISPO Munich Moving to Amsterdam
The ISPO sporting goods and outdoor trade fair, which has been held in Munich for more than 50 years, will be held in Amsterdam in 2026, leaving its home in Munich, the show’s organizer, Messe München, announced. Situated in a globally connected hub and home to leading brand headquarters, Amsterdam is expected to strengthen ties with the North American market.
Iconix Founder Cole Cleared on Appeal After Two Fraud Trials
Iconix Brand Group Founder and former Chief Executive Officer Neil Cole was cleared by a New York Federal Appeals Court of charges that he inflated the apparel licensor’s earnings and misled investors a decade ago.
VF Corp.’s Q2 Flies Past Guidance, Q3 Guidance Disappoints
VF Corp.’s earnings declined 13 percent on an adjusted basis in its fiscal second quarter ended September 27 but were well ahead of company guidance. Sales were down 2 percent on a currency-neutral basis, but also topped guidance, with The North Face and Timberland both gaining 4 percent. Vans declined 11 percent on a currency-neutral basis but improved sequentially. Guidance given for the third quarter came in below analyst estimates.
Zoot Sports Acquires European Distributor
Zoot Sports, the triathlon brand owned by Italy’s MVC Group, has acquired Tailwind Brands GmbH, its European distributor based in Bönen, Germany, “aimed at expanding and consolidating Zoot’s presence in Europe, with MVC Group expecting to triple Zoot’s European sales over the next three years.”
Amazon Plans To Cut 14,000 Corporate Jobs
Amazon plans to lay off as many as 30,000 employees across several divisions, nearly 10 percent of its corporate workforce, in its largest round of layoffs to date.
Piper Sandler Acquires MENA Growth Partners to Strengthen Middle East Presence
Nabeel Siddiqui, managing director at Piper Sandler London, will move to the Abu Dhabi office after closing to head investment banking in the region while continuing oversight of his European business.
Raiders’ Brock Bowers Joins Greatness Wins as Equity Partner
The performance apparel brand co-founded by Derek Jeter and Chris Riccobono, the founder of UntuckIt, announced that Las Vegas Raiders tight end Brock Bowers has joined the company as an equity partner and brand ambassador.
Poshmark Appoints First Chief Product Officer
The fashion marketplace for new and used fashion, appointed Heather Friedland as its first chief product officer. With more than 20 years of product leadership experience, Friedland most recently served as chief product officer at Ancestry
Puma Appoints Maria Valdes as Chief Brand Officer; Reorganizes Marketing Functions
Effective immediately, Puma has reorganized its brand marketing with a new structure that includes product creation, innovation, go-to-market, and brand marketing, “to enable stronger, more consistent storytelling for its products.” As a result, Maria Valdes, previously Puma’s chief product officer, was named chief brand officer, overseeing the new organization at the management board level.
U.S. Consumer Confidence Down in October On Inflation Concerns
In the University of Michigan’s U.S. consumer sentiment survey, consumer sentiment declined in October compared with an initial estimate published earlier this month, amid a weakening labor market and stubborn inflation.
Kontoor Brands Increases Quarterly Dividend
Kontoor Brands Inc.’s Board of Directors has declared a regular quarterly cash dividend of $0.53 per share, an increase of $0.01 or 2 percent.
Gogglesoc Parent Acquires Phunkshun Wear
Lowerleft Designs, Ltd., the parent company of Gogglesoc, has acquired Phunkshun Wear, a maker of facewear and headwear from recycled fabrics. A refreshed brand direction for Phunkshun Wear is slated for FW26/27.
