SGB Update Footwear

United Sports Brands Names CEO

Phil Gyori was appointed CEO. Most recently, he was the CEO of Pelican Products. His hire follows the company’s recent acquisition by Norwest Equity Partners.

National Golf Foundation Makes Board Appointments

The National Golf Foundation (NGF) added Craig Kessler, PGA of America COO, Geoff Cottrill, Topgolf’s chief brand officer, and Edric Funk, Toro’s VP of golf, grounds, and irrigation, to its Board of Directors, effective January 1, 2024. 

Costco’s Global Sales Climb 10 Percent In December

Costco Wholesale Corporation reported net sales of $26.15 billion for the retail month of December, an increase of 9.9 percent from $23.80 billion last year. U.S. sales were up 7.3 percent.

Report: U.S. Holiday Online Sales Grow 4.9 Percent

Online spending in the U.S. during the 2023 holiday season climbed 4.9 percent to $222.1 billion in November and December, according to Adobe Analytics. Growth was reportedly driven by sizeable discounts across electronics, toys and apparel, as well as increased usage of the flexible ‘Buy Now Pay Later’ payment option.

Brooks Hires VP of Apparel and Accessories 

Brooks Running hired Gabriel Rodriguez as VP of apparel and accessories. Most recently, Rodriguez was the director of run apparel and competitive train/Curry and basketball at Under Armour.

SFIA Re-Elects Ram as Chair; Adds Three New Board Members

SFIA re-elected Jonathan Ram, CEO of Clarks, Inc., as chairman of the Board of Directors for the 2024 term. Isabel Coscia, SVP of marketing at Technogym, Ryan Cruthirds, chief digital commerce and brand development officer at Implus LLC and Koichiro Kodama, president and CEO for Asics North America, were newly elected to the SFIA Board,

The Buckle’s Comps Decline 6 Percent In December

The Buckle, Inc. announced that comparable store net sales for the 5-week period ended December 30 decreased 5.8 percent versus the year-ago period. Net sales decreased 5.0 percent to $203.8 million from $214.5 million a year ago.

Academy Sports’ Former President Lands at Groundworks

Groundworks, the foundation and water management solutions company, hired Michael Mullican as CFO. Last October, Mullican stepped down from Academy Sports as president and CFO to pursue personal and professional opportunities.

UK’s SportsShoes.com Inks Global Marketing Partnership with Parkrun

The UK-based online running shoe, clothing and outdoor gear retailer said in a release it is now exclusively Parkrun’s official retail partner in the UK, while also supporting the global Parkrun community with procurement and distribution of its range of merchandise.