SGB Update Footwear
New Balance Officially Opens Methuen Factory
New Balance, on Monday, officially opened its new athletic footwear factory in Methuen, MA. The 80,000-square-foot facility, which underwent a $20 million renovation, began production in January 2022.
Academy Sports’ Q4 Comps Expand 13 Percent
Academy Sports + Outdoors reported comparable stores jumped 13.1 percent in the fourth quarter and 18.9 percent in the year ended January 29. Adjusted earnings in the quarter grew 40.9 percent, exceeding Wall Street targets. Academy predicted sales in the current year would decline 1.6 percent at the mid-point of its range but be up 38.0 percent versus the pre-pandemic 2019 period.
NPD Tracker: Retail Continues To See Spending On Activities Rises
U.S. consumers have started to spend on in-person experiences again, but the pull-back on general merchandise retail spending that is expected to coincide with it has not yet materialized. Experiential spending reached 91 percent of 2019 levels, as of the end of 2021, but general merchandise retail spending remained elevated at 19 percent above pre-pandemic levels, according to The NPD Group.
FDRA Launches The Footwear Trade Show Council
The Footwear Distributors & Retailers of America (FDRA) has created the Footwear Trade Show Council (FTSC). Its purpose is to align industry trade shows into one collaborative alliance to share information, best practices and industry dates.
Dyrt Report: New Campers Are Increasingly More Diverse
The Dyrt, an app for camping, found that 40 percent of the people who went camping for the first time in 2021 identified as Black, Indigenous, and People of Color, up from just 23 percent in 2018.
U.S. Golf Rounds Played Climb 13 Percent In February
According to Golf Datatech, U.S. rounds of golf played rose 13 percent in February 2022 compared to February 2021.
Crocs Announces Promotions
Crocs promoted Shannon Sisler to executive vice president and chief people officer, Dan Marques to senior vice president, global digital commerce, and Frank Smigelski to senior vice president, distribution and logistics.
Bryant Estate Reaches New Deal With Nike On Kobe Bryant Shoes
Kobe Bryant’s estate has reached a new long-term contract with Nike to continue producing both footwear and apparel from Bryant’s Zoom Kobe series, Nike and Vanessa Bryant announced.
New Balance Opens Factory In Methuen, MA Producing MADE 990v5 Running Shoe
New Balance opened an 80,000-square-foot footwear factory in Methuen, MA, after undergoing a $20 million renovation. The factory began production in January 2022, signaling its commitment to U.S. manufacturing.
Evo Announces Appointments To Executive Team
Evo, the online retailer of outdoor gear and fashion apparel based in Seattle, WA, announced the addition of Xandy Anderson and the promotion of Ben Wallace.
Patagonia And REI To Boycott Outdoor Retailer Show Upon Return To Utah
Patagonia and REI issued statements that said the companies would not attend Outdoor Retailer when it returns to Salt Lake City in 2023.
Foot Locker Sets Goal To Achieve Net Zero Greenhouse Gas Emissions By 2050
Foot Locker, Inc. announced its ambition to achieve net-zero GHG emissions by 2050 or sooner to align with the climate scientists recommendations to transition toward a net-zero state.
361° Sales Advance 16 Percent In 2021
361 Degrees reported profits rose 45.0 percent in the year ended December 31 as revenue increased by 15.7 percent.
Adidas To Create NIL Network
Adidas announced that it would create a name, image and likeness (NIL) network for up to 50,000 college athletes to become paid endorsers for the brand.
Yeezy Appoints Head Of Design
Kanye West’s Yeezy appointed Nur Abbas, previously Nike ACG’s design director, as head of design.
