SGB Update Footwear

New Balance To Build Plant In Londonderry

New Balance plans to build a manufacturing plant near the Manchester-Boston Regional Airport in Londonderry, NH; this is the company’s sixth factory in the U.S. The others are in Maine and Massachusetts.

Walmart Opens Its Largest Fulfillment Center Outside Indianapolis

Walmart celebrated the grand opening of a new 2.2 million-square-foot fulfillment center twenty miles northeast of Indianapolis in McCordsville, IN. The next-gen facility is Walmart’s largest fulfillment center to date and enable the retailer to fill orders more quickly.

Outdoor Product Sales A Reflection Of Shifting Post-Pandemic Lifestyle Trends

Sales across the $28 billion U.S. outdoor industry declined by 1 percent in the 12 months ending April 2023, versus the comparable prior-year period, impacted by consumers spending less on big-ticket equipment items and instead buying backpacks, blankets, camping accessories, and other versatile products.

Sport 2000 Reaches €6.5 Bn In 2022 Sales; SGN Sports Leaving Group

Sport 2000 International, the world’s second-largest trade organization for independent sports retailers with 3,586 stores in 25 countries, recently reported it is reflecting on a successful year, closing the 2022 financial year with gross retail sales of €6.5 billion.

REI To Open Re/Supply Store In Clackamas, OR This Summer

REI Co-op will open a Re/Supply store selling used gear and apparel in Clackamas, OR in late August 2023. Located in the Clackamas Town Center, the 16,113-square-foot store will open a few doors down from the co-op’s existing store which opened in 2007.

Report: May Retail Sales Grow 2 Percent On ASP Growth; Apparel Declines

U.S. retail sales revenue in May 2023, including discretionary general merchandise and consumer packaged goods (CPG), increased 2 percent compared to the same month last year, even as unit sales declined 3 percent, according to data from Circana, formerly IRI and The NPD Group.

Stitch Fix Hires Former Macy’s Exec As CEO

Stitch Fix, Inc. announced that Matt Baer, former chief customer and digital officer at Macy’s, Inc., was hired as CEO and appointed as a member of the Board of Directors, effective June 26, 2023. Founder, Interim CEO and Executive Chairperson of the Board, Katrina Lake, will work closely with Baer as he transitions into the role. 

Caleres’ Debt Ratings Upgraded

S&P Global Ratings raised the debt ratings on Caleres, Inc. as the parent of Famous Footwear has sustained adjusted leverage in the low- to the mid-2x area, supported by moderating margin pressures and debt paydown under its asset-based lending (ABL) facility.