SGB Update Apparel
Ex-Billabong Boss Matthew Perrin Released From Jail A Year Early
Former Billabong CEO Matthew Perrin has been released from jail a year before his parole eligibility date, according to the Sydney Morning Herald.
Former Lord & Taylor President Joins Adidas North America
Vanessa LeFebvre, former president of Lord & Taylor, is joining Adidas as SVP of commercial, overseeing the brand’s U.S. wholesale, stores and online businesses.
Jordan Brand Signs Jayson Tatum
Nike’s Jordan Brand signed Jayson Tatum, star forward from the Boston Celtics, to an endorsement deal.
Puma Commits To 35 Percent Reduction In Carbon Emissions By 2030
Puma said it’s aiming for a 35 percent reduction of its greenhouse gas emissions by 2030, a target which was approved by the Science Based Target initiative (SBTi).
Academy Sports Debt Ratings Upgraded Following Distressed Exchange
Standard & Poors Corp. raised Academy Sports’ debt ratings to ‘CCC+’ from ‘SD’ (selective default), as expected, a few days after lowering its rating following the retailer’s repurchase of a portion of its senior secured term loan facility due 2022. S&P said its continued negative outlook on Academy “reflects our expectation that weak performance will persist and meaningful operational improvement is unlikely in the next 12 months.”
Columbia Sportswear Testifies Against the Trump Administration’s Proposed Tariff Hike
Katie Tangman in her testimony said, “Reducing investment to pay millions of dollars in extra tariffs and to move production, will seriously hinder our ability to continue to grow and create more U.S. jobs. At a time of rapid retail change, we simply cannot afford to slow our investments due to these punitive tariffs.”
Lululemon Quietly Closes Men’s-Only Stores
Lululemon Athletica has quietly closed its men’s-only stores in New York City and Toronto. A Lululemon spokesperson told Bloomberg customers respond better to Lululemon “as a dual-gender brand.”
Adidas “Stripes” Ruled Invalid In EU Trademark Case
The European Union General Court ruled against Adidas in a trademark dispute over its famous three stripes.
Fred’s Closing Another 49 Stores
The Memphis-based discount chain Fred’s is closing 49 more stores. It’s the third round of closings since April and comes five weeks after “going out of business” liquidation sales began at 105 Fred’s stores and follows the decision to shutter 159 locations.
NRF Warns USTR To Avoid Additional Tariffs
The National Retail Federation urged the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative to avoid 25 percent tariffs on $300 billion in Chinese goods and released a new study examining key product categories and the negative impact on American consumers.
NRF Senior Vice President of Government Relations David French said, “We support efforts to achieve better trade deals, but American consumers shouldn’t be caught in the crosshairs.”
Mountain Khakis Grows Product Team Again
Mountain Khakis announced two more additions to the product team: Jennifer Fernandez and Lisa Reinhart. Both based out of Charlotte, NC, Fernandez will take on the role of product line manager and Reinhart as senior development manager.
SFIA To Testify Against China Tariffs
Bill Sells, SFIA’s senior vice president of government & public affairs, will testify on behalf of the sports & fitness industry on Tuesday, June 25, 2019. Sells plans to say, “We strongly oppose the proposed tariffs because they will disrupt our members’ business models, cause lasting economic harm to American sports companies, and result in higher prices paid by millions of American consumers.”
Zion Williamson’s Nike Sneakers Up For Auction
A pair of Zion Williamson’s Nike sneakers he wore as a college player at Duke University are being offered for sale in the Goldin Auctions 2019 Summer Auction beginning on July 8 at GoldinAuctions.com.
Tillys’ Men’s Buyer Joins Rue21
Rue21 appointed Michael Cingolani, formerly division merchandising manager for men’s and boys apparel at Tillys, as its vice president of guys merchandising.
Champion Partners With NBPA
The National Basketball Players Association (NBPA) and THINK450 announced a partnership with Hanesbrands Inc. that will recognize Champion as the official sport style partner of the union.
