SGB Update Footwear

Collegiate Licensing Pioneer Bill Battle Passes
Battle helped the University of Alabama create a licensing department, which led to his founding of the Collegiate Licensing Company (CLC) and what became a multi-billion dollar industry for collegiate licensing.

Report: Black Friday In-Store Shopper Traffic Falls 8.2 Percent Year-over-Year
The brand’s ShopperTrak Analytics insights show that U.S. shopper visits were down 3.9 percent from November 24 through November 29, in line with the in-store traffic trends seen year-to-date (down 3.0 percent year-over-year).

Rally House Opens New Storefront in Minneapolis
Rally House Maple Grove Crossing opened on November 27. The retailer entered the Minnesota market this year with its first store in Tamarack Village in Woodbury. Today, it operates five stores in the state.

Cole Haan Inks China Partner for Retail and Brand Development
The company has inked an exclusive distribution agreement with China retail HiMaxx. In conjunction, HiMaxx is launching a new premium branded division, focused on Cole Haan, under Co-Founder and Board member Jason Hou.

Urban Outfitters Shares Jump on Strength of “Resilient” Consumer
Comparable retail segment net sales increased 5.8 percent at Anthropologie and 5.3 percent at Free People. Comps decreased 8.9 percent at Urban Outfitters. Nuuly segment net sales increased by 48.4 percent.

Abercrombie & Fitch Co. Promotes Tenured Company Leader to CFO
Robert Ball was promoted to chief financial officer, effective November 20, 2024, reporting to Scott Lipesky, executive vice president and chief operating officer.

Burlington Stores, Inc. Appoints Former Staples CEO to Board
Shira Goodman, former CEO of Staples, Inc., will join Burlington Stores Board of Directors and Audit Committee effective January 1, 2025.

Rally House Opens New Stores in Indiana, Arkansas and Philadelphia
Rally House and Sampler Stores, Inc. the family-owned specialty retailer that represents local NCAA, NFL, MLB, NBA, NHL, and MLS teams has opened three new stores in Noblesville, IN; Fort Smith, AK; and Philadelphia PA.

Nordstrom Beats Street Estimates for Q3 on DD Growth in Women’s Apparel and Active
In the third quarter, Nordstrom saw women’s apparel and active post double-digit growth, while shoes, men’s apparel and kids were up in the mid- to high-single-digits versus Q3 2023. Growth in women’s apparel, shoes and men’s apparel reportedly accelerated sequentially from the second quarter.

OrthoLite Expands India Facility; Opens New Sales Office in Chennai
The new building expands Ortholite India’s footprint “threefold and enables increased capacity to two million pairs of insoles per month.” The facility is also fully equipped to make leather footbeds.

Wolverine Worldwide Work Group Appoints Mike Maloney Chief Product Officer
Maloney will spearhead product development, merchandise strategy and market expansion initiatives for all brands within the Work Group (Wolverine, CAT Footwear, Bates, Harley-Davidson Footwear, Merrell Work, and Hytest).

L.L.Bean Opens New Maine Outlet Store
Jason Sulham, the company’s public affairs manager, reported that the 14,500-square-foot store will move into an existing space near the Market Basket grocery store in The Shops at Biddeford Crossing.

Kohl’s Snags Ashley Buchanan from Michael’s as New CEO; Kingsbury Signals Exit
Company CEO Tom Kingsbury plans to step down as CEO, effective January 15, 2025. He will stay remain in an advisory role to Kingsbury and retain his position on Kohl’s Board of Directors through his retirement in May 2025.

Kohl’s Shares Plunge 17 Percent as CEO to Exit and Q3 Results, Holiday Outlook Disappoint
The mid-tier retailer’s outgoing CEO Tom Kingsbury said in a Tuesday, November 26, media release that third quarter results did not meet expectations as sales remained soft in the retailer’s apparel and footwear businesses.

Gymshark Opens Holiday Pop-Up on Wooster Street in NYC
This pop-up offers a glimpse of what consumers will find in the U.K.-based brand’s first permanent U.S. flagship, scheduled to open in 2025.