SGB Update Footwear
Western Resorts See Strong Occupancy Rates Holiday 2021
Ample snowfall beginning in mid-December across the western U.S. led to a winning holiday season, whether compared to the pandemic-addled season last year or to pre-pandemic, record-breaking holiday seasons, according to DestiMetrics.
HanesBrands Announces $2 Million Investment In Historically Black Colleges And Universities
HanesBrands announced a $2 million investment in three historically black colleges and universities (HBCU). The four-year partnership involves North Carolina A&T, Pensole Lewis College of Business & Design and Winston-Salem State University.
Nike And Converse Reach Settlement With Ex-Employee In Custom-Shoe Case
Nike settled a custom-sneaker lawsuit against a former employee and his company in a trademark infringement case, according to World Trademark Review.
Salesforce Data Reveals Global Digital Sales Surpassed $1 Trillion During 2021 Holiday Season
Consumers spent $1.14 trillion online globally and $257 billion in the U.S., compared to $1.1 trillion and $236 billion in 2020, according to Salesforce’s 2021 Holiday Shopping Report.
Walmart Names New Chief Merchant In Exec Shuffle
Walmart appointed Charles Redfield as chief merchandising officer. He is replacing Scott McCall, who is retiring. Chief Customer Officer Janey Whiteside is leaving the company, according to an internal memo attained by the Wall Street Journal.
Sneaker-Trading Start-Up, Traderblock, Sites Strong Growth Since Launch
Traderblock, a sneaker trading platform, said it has attracted over 100,000 collectors in the app since its launch in May 2021.
Holiday Sales Grew 14.1 Percent
Retail sales during 2021’s November/December holiday season grew 14.1 percent over 2020 to $886.7 billion, beating the National Retail Federation’s forecast and setting a record despite challenges from inflation, supply chain disruptions and the pandemic, NRF said.
Vail Resorts Skier Visits Down Slightly Season-To-Date
Vail Resorts, Inc. reported season-to-date total skier visits were down 1.7 percent compared to the prior year season-to-date period and down 18.3 percent compared to the fiscal year 2020 season-to-date period.
Report: StockX Exploring IPO
StockX has retained Morgan Stanley and Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. to explore a planned U.S. initial public offering as soon as the first half of 2022, sources told Bloomberg.
Big 5 Sees Q4 EPS Well Above Guidance
Big 5 Sporting Goods Corporation pre-announced fourth-quarter results for the period ended January 2 that showed earnings came in above company guidance due to margins coming in significantly ahead of plan. Steven Miller, the company’s CEO, said in a statement, “While issues surrounding the pandemic are ongoing, we believe the business is in a great position heading into 2022.”
Arc’teryx Closes 2021 With 21 Global Retail Openings
Arc’teryx announced it opened 21 stores internationally in 2021. The company also celebrated its first ReBird Repair and Service Center in New York with plans to establish more centers as the brand expands its ReBird circularity initiatives in 2022.
Under Armour To Close Store In Downtown Detroit
Under Armour Inc. reportedly plans to close its store in downtown Detroit, according to Crain’s Detroit Business.
Soccer Shots Secures Investment
Soccer Shots, the youth soccer franchisor, has secured an investment from Susquehanna Private Capital. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.
Columbia Sportswear Appoints VP, U.S. Sales, Columbia Brand
Columbia Sportswear Company announced it has named Jim Beeman as vice president, U.S. sales for the Columbia brand. He was at Nike for 22 years.
Evo Acquires Rhythm Japan
Evo, the Seattle-based outdoor retailer, has acquired Rhythm Japan, a Hokkaido, Japan-based snow gear rental company, along with its winter apparel brand, Oyuki.
