SGB Update Footwear

Play It Again Parent Sees Growth Moderate in 2023 Second Half
Parent company of the Play It Again Sports franchisor and other retail resale banners, reported revenues for the year ended December 30, 2023 were $83.2 million, up from $81.4 million in 2022.

Wolverine Improves Margins in Tough Q4; Sees Double-Digit Decline for 2024
Fourth quarter revenue from the ongoing business was $521.2 million and declined 18.4 percent on a constant-currency basis, with all segments and brands posting declines.

Camping World Chair and CEO Named Executive Chair at Beyond, Inc.
Marcus Lemonis has been a director of Beyond since October 2023 and the chairman of its Board since December 2023. As executive chairman, he will work closely with the management team to lead and execute Beyond’s strategic priorities.

Walmart Inc. Tops Wall Street Estimates in Strong Q4 Performance
Consolidated revenue was $173.4 billion for the fourth quarter, up 5.7 percent, or 4.9 percent in constant-currency terms, topping Wall Street estimates. Global e-commerce sales grew 23 percent for the period.

Macy’s Receives List of Board Nominations from Rejected Buyout Suitor
Macy’s formally rejected the $5.8 billion bid from Arkhouse and hedge fund Brigade Capital on January 21. Financing, or the lack of a solid plan to secure it, was called out as the primary reason.

January U.S. Census Bureau Retail Data Shows Consumers ‘Still Engaged’
January prices for goods reportedly came down, which affects sales figures even if the same number of items are sold, and increased prices for services pulled dollars away from retail purchases.

Crocs Inc. Sees Q4 Growth Slow as N.A. Wholesale Declines
Fourth quarter revenues were $960 million, an increase of just 1.6 percent, or 1.5 percent on a constant-currency (CC) basis, from the corresponding period in 2022. North America Wholesale declined 5.1 percent in Q4.

Skechers U.S.A. Completes a Retail 5K on Way to Store Number 10,000
Expanding its international store count, key store openings for Skechers leading up to the milestone are in Chile, Greece, India, Mexico, South Korea, the United States, and the 5,000th store in Bogotá, Colombia.

Hartford Sales Group Appoints New Rep for NorCal Coast
Mark Blesius joined the award-winning agency, covering the Northern California Coast. Blesius was, most recently, the senior regional account manager covering the Southwest region for Asics America.

VF Corp. Aligns with Activist Investor, Appoints New Indie Board Member
VF will appoint another independent director to the Board in the near term, mutually agreed with Engaged Capital and will prioritize considering the candidates identified by Engaged Capital.

Shoe Carnival Acquires Rogan Shoes; Pre-Announces FY Results on Solid Holiday Gains
The acquisition is expected to be immediately accretive to the company’s fiscal 2024 earnings and generate approximately $84 million in sales and approximately $10 million in operating income, excluding transaction and integration costs.

O’Neill Opening Brand Store in Honolulu with Hawaiian Island Creations
The flagship store, on Kalākaua Avenue in Honolulu, HI, joins eleven other Hawaiian Island Creations store locations on Oahu and more across Maui and the Big Island.

Nordstrom, Inc. to Add Another Rack Store in New Jersey
The 26,000-square-foot store will be located in Manalapan Commons, a shopping center that includes Best Buy, Panera Bread, Five Below, PetSmart, and Raymour & Flanigan.

Sam Edelman Inks New Licensee Deals Across Four Categories
New licensing partners include HB Connections (handbags), Esquire Brands (kids’ shoes), Gina Group (hosiery), and My Step Global (slippers).

Nike Mourns the Loss of Ambassador Athlete Kelvin Kiptum
Kelvin Kiptum, who shattered the Chicago Marathon course record in only his third marathon in October 2023, tragically died Sunday in a car accident. Nike wrote on their website that Kiptum was “an inspiration to countless athletes and fans around the world.”