SGB Update Footwear
CNBC/NRF Retail Monitor Sees March Y/Y Retail Sales Growth Accelerate
Growth in the Clothing, Footwear and Accessories Stores sector softened from the January and February trends, while the industry that includes Sporting Goods stores accelerated versus January and February periods, according to the CNBC/NRF Retail Monitor for March.
Rag & Bone Launches Australian Owned E-Commerce Platform
Rag & Bone has launched an Australian owned e-commerce platform, rag-bone.com.au, with Signal Brands Australia.
G-III Apparel and Aldo Ink Footwear License Deal for G.H.Bass Brand
Under the agreement, Aldo Product Services will design, manufacture, distribute, market and sell G.H.Bass footwear, bags and small leather goods.
The Buckle Posts Larger Comp Sales Increase for March
Comparable store net sales for the 5-week period ended April 5 increased 3.7 percent year-over-year. The two-month YTD period comped up 1.6 percent year-over-year.
Piper Sandler Survey Reveals Nike, Lululemon and Stanley Losing Teen Mindshare
The latest Piper Sandler Taking Stock With Teens survey for spring 2025 found Ugg has moved up the most (two spots with 4-points in share gains year-over-year), followed by On Running (two spots with 1-point in share gains year-over-year).
NRF Expected Cargo Traffic to Drop Dramatically Before Latest Tariff Moves
The latest Global Port Tracker report released on April 9 by the NRF and Hackett Associates suggests cargo traffic will drop dramatically beginning next month; however, that outlook might change given the changes in the tariff picture.
Costco Sees March Comps Grow 9.1 Percent x-Gas; E-Commerce Up High Teens
Costco reported net sales of $25.5 billion for the retail month of March, the five weeks ended April 6, 2025, an increase of 8.6 percent from $23.5 billion in fiscal March last year.
Fleet Feet Franchisee to Open Third North Carolina Store in Jacksonville
Michelle Fogle opened her first Fleet Feet store at the Forum Shopping Center in Wilmington, NC 10 years ago, followed by a second Wilmington location two years ago.
The Athlete’s Foot Promotes Matt Lafone to CEO
Matt Lafone, president and GM of Americas, takes the helm as global CEO, steering TAF toward a unified vision with new operational and innovation strategies.
Former Puma CEO Jochen Zeitz to Exit Harley Davidson Leadership Role
The Board of Directors of Harley-Davidson, Inc. has confirmed that it is currently engaged in an ongoing CEO search process as part of the Board’s succession planning responsibilities.
VF Corp. Promotes Abhishek Dalmia to EVP and Chief Operating Officer
The company’s Board of Directors has named Dalmia as EVP and chief operating officer and principal operating officer, effective April 3, 2025. He has served as EVP and chief strategy, transformation and digital officer since March 2024.
Puma SE Promotes Tara McRae to President of North America Unit
McRae, who previously led Puma’s marketing and brand strategy in North America, will assume the role immediately, replacing Bob Philion, who leaves the company after 20 years, including eights years as North America president.
BDA Promotes Former Nordstrom Exec to Divisional VP of Program Management
Bensussen Deutsch & Associates, LLC (BDA) is the largest, independently owned branded merchandise agency with operations in over 50 locations worldwide. With a proven record of building large e-commerce solutions, Lisa Battistoni’s expertise will drive innovation and optimize BDA’s digital offerings.
Duluth Trading Welcomes Stephanie Pugliese Back as President and CEO
Pugliese replaces outgoing CEO Sam Soto, who announced last week he was leaving the business. She first joined Duluth Trading in November 2008 as VP of product and merchandising, and was promoted continuosly until assuming the CEO role in 2015, a role she served in until 2019.
NRF: Consumer Spending Not Unraveling; Retail Sales Growth to Continue in 2025
The association’s 2025 sales forecast compares with 3.6 percent annual sales growth to $5.29 trillion dollars in 2024. This year’s forecast also aligns with the 10-year pre-pandemic average annual sales growth of 3.6 percent.
