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.
Report: Gen-Z Strava Athletes Most Likely to Build Community for Workouts
The report concluded that while it’s no surprise that Gen Z’s behaviors and habits vary from other generations, they also have different motivators, barriers and interests when it comes to staying active.
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.
Genesco Appoints Chris Santaella as Chief Merchant of Journeys Group
Santaella joins Journeys from Foot Locker, where he worked for over three decades in successive roles, most recently as senior vice president and chief merchandising officer for Foot Locker, Kids Foot Locker and Champs Sports.
Authentic Inks DC Shoes Brand Management Deal with BBC International
BBC International will be tasked with the global design and sourcing for DC Shoes footwear, snowboard boots and the wholesale distribution of the DC Shoes brand in the U.S. and Canada.
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.
K-Swiss Appoints VP of Lifestyle
K-Swiss hired athletics footwear veteran Andrew Richard as VP of lifestyle, responsible for leading lifestyle sales for the Americas region, including the wholesale sales team and K-Swiss distributors.
Costco Store in Virginia to Unionize
At the Costco store in Norfolk, VA, employees voted overwhelmingly to join the Teamsters, the largest union in America, marking the first “victory” for workers at a Costco location in two decades.
A Range of Business Issues, Brands and Retailers Top SGB Media’s Most Read for December
December 2023 featured many of the annual recaps and look aheads inherent in end-of-year business reporting; however, traffic and readership also rewarded a piece on Macy’s $5.8 billion buyout offer with the Most Read Article nod for the month.
