SGB Update Footwear

NGF Report: Golf Participation And Engagement Rise Again In 2021
Participation research shows overall golf participation in the U.S. increased by 600,000 to 37.5 million in 2021, up 2 percent, according to the State-of-Industry Graffis Report published by the NGF (National Golf Foundation).
Nike Appoints Executive Vice President And General Counsel
Nike Inc. announced that Ann Miller, a 14-year Nike veteran with more than two decades of legal experience, will become executive vice president and general counsel, effective February 17, 2022. Miller succeeds Hilary Krane, who is retiring.

Adidas Plans More Than 2,800 New Hires In 2022
Adidas said it plans to hire more than 2,800 employees in 2022, including more than 800 in its home country of Germany.
JD Sports Veteran To Lead Debenhams
Debenhams has appointed JD Sports veteran Daniel Finley as CEO.

Signa Sports’ Sales Expand 24 Percent In Fiscal Year
Signa Sports United (SSU), the Berlin-based sports e-commerce and technology platform, reported sales grew 10 percent in the fourth quarter and 24 percent in the fiscal year ended September 30.

Activist Investor Seeks Seat On Kohl’s Board
Activist hedge fund Macellum Advisors, which owns about a 5 percent stake in Kohl’s Corp., sent a letter to the retailer’s board on Tuesday urging Kohl’s to publicly commit to carrying out a “robust” process to review strategic alternatives and form a special committee of independent directors to oversee the review.
Decathlon Announces New CEO
Decathlon appointed Barbara Martin Coppola as chief executive officer. She succeeds Michel Aballea, in office since 2015. This appointment is effective mid-March 2022.

Reebok To Layoff 150 Employees As ABG Acquisition Nears Completion
According to a report in The Boston Globe, Reebok will lay off about 150 employees, mainly at its Boston headquarters. The layoffs will take effect around February 28, when its acquisition by Authentic Brands Group (ABG) is scheduled to close.

NPD Report: Athletic Footwear Revenues Expand 20 Percent In 2021
Annual revenue for the U.S. athletic footwear market grew by about 20 percent versus 2020, although growth slowed to mid-single-digits in the fourth quarter due to poor execution, supply chain delays, the end of stimulus payments, and a lack of newness in the market, according to The NPD Group.

Academy Sports To Restart New Store Growth In 2022, Including First Stores In Virginia And West Virginia
Academy Sports + Outdoors, Inc. announced that it would open at least eight new stores in 2022 to fill in specific existing markets in Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, and Texas and expand its Virginia and West Virginia footprint.
La Cordée Appoints President
La Cordée Macap Inc., which operates five outdoor equipment stores in Canada, announced the appointment of Cedric Morisset as president. He was most recently VP retail operations at Mountain Equipment Company (MEC).

Under Armour Replaces Reebok As Footwear Partner For UFC
Under Armour Inc.’s Project Rock brand featuring former pro wrestler and actor Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson has replaced Reebok as the official footwear partner of UFC, the mixed martial arts organization.

Nike Appoints SNKRS VP To Lead New Virtual Studios Division
Nike announced it had appointed Ron Faris as the VP of its SNKRS app and lead its Virtual Studios, a new division supporting Nike’s latest push into the metaverse.

REI Workers In Manhattan Store Seek To Form Union
Employees at the REI store located in the SoHo district in NYC filed for a union election on Friday, according to a report in The New York Times.
NPD Group: Early 2021 Retail Gains Outpaced Strong Holiday Finish
U.S. consumer spending on general merchandise ended the year up 15 percent compared to 2020 with a 6 percent increase in unit sales. While holiday shopping brought positive retail results, the early part of the year delivered more significant year-over-year gains. The fourth quarter of 2021 contributed 9 percent revenue growth and one percent unit growth over the prior year, according The NPD Group.