SGB Update Outdoor

Columbia Sportswear Sues Columbia University
Columbia Sportswear filed a lawsuit against Columbia University in the U.S. District Court for Oregon today, alleging trademark infringement, unfair competition, and breach of contract.

Parent of Oboz and Rip Curl Appoints CFO
KMD Brands, Ltd. appointed Carla Webb-Sear as chief financial officer. She joins the company from Qantas, where she served as chief financial and strategy officer of its Loyalty Division. Webb-Sear will be based at the Group’s global headquarters in Melbourne, Australia.

Polygiene’s Loss Widens in Q2, Blames U.S. Tariffs
Sales in the quarter ended June 30 amounted to SEK 31.9 million ($3.4 mm), down 12.2 percent from SEK 36.4 million a year ago. The loss was SEK 3.13 million, compared to a loss of SEK 1.37 million a year ago.

Scheels to Open Location in Blaine, Minnesota
Scheels announced plans to open a 250,000-square-foot store in Blaine, MN, in spring 2028. The location will be the company’s second location in the Twin Cities metro, joining Eden Prairie, and sixth in the state.

Rouvy Acquires Bkrool Indoor Cycling Platform
Czech-based indoor cycling platform Rouvy reached an agreement to acquire Spain-based competitor Bkrool. The acquisition will support Rouvy’s expansion with Bkrool having a strong presence in Spain (and Spanish-speaking countries), France and Denmark. Bkrool will continue as a standalone brand within The Rouvy Group.

Backcountry Acquires Local Utah Outdoor Value Retailer Level Nine Sports
The deal is expected to benefit Level Nine Sports’ e-commerce capabilities and physical retail experience while providing a wider range of cost-conscious outdoor goods to Backcountry customers.

Deckers Brands Nominates Former Starbucks and Hyatt CFO to Board
Grismer brings over 35 years of financial leadership experience at major global consumer companies. He currently serves on the Board of Directors of Krispy Kreme and has recently served as Chair of the Board of Directors of Panera Brands.

Arc’teryx to Open New Vancouver Flagship Store
Spanning 6,430 square feet, the new store is situated at 1001 Robson Street, previously occupied by a Roots store at the corner of Burrard and Robson streets. The store will open on July 26, replacing Arc’teryx’s flagship at 813 Burrard Street.

World Surf League Appoints New Chief Revenue Officer
Nicole Metzger most recently served as the chief sales and partnerships officer for the Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA). Before that she served as the chief revenue officer at JMI Sports/Clemson University, where she expanded multimedia rights and launched the Clemson Campus Digital Network.

Consumer Sentiment Inches Up in July; Low Levels of Optimism Persist
The University of Michigan’s preliminary index of consumer sentiment edged up to 61.8 in July from 60.7 in June; however, consumer sentiment has declined by 6.9 percent (4.6 points) compared to the same time last year and is down 16 percent from December.

Chaparral and Robalo Parent MPX Sees Q2 Revenue Declines Moderate; Profit Falls
Second-quarter sales were down 3 percent year-over-year, but shipments and sales grew sequentially again in the quarter and are now said to be solidly above the lows of the second half of 2024.

Foot Locker and Dick’s Sporting Goods Extend Antitrust Review Period for Merger
Foot Locker Inc. announced in a regulatory filing that Dick’s Sporting Goods, Inc. has voluntarily withdrawn its pre-merger notification and report form under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act as part of its plans to acquire Foot Locker. The withdrawal, made on July 23, is intended to provide the Federal Trade Commission with additional time to review the proposed transaction.

Brunswick Corp. Ekes Out Revenue Bump Despite Continued Boat Group Weakness
The owner of the Boston Whaler, Lund, Sea Ray, Bayliner, Harris Pontoons, Princecraft, and Quicksilver boat brands, and the Mercury Marine, Mercury Racing, MerCruiser, and Flite marine propulsion brands, said second quarter sales were slightly above the year-ago quarter

REI Sets Opening for Durango, Colorado Store
The 22,000-square-foot space will be the retail chain’s 11th store in Colorado. The store will open on July 25 for a soft opening, with an official opening on August 22.

Grassroots Outdoor Alliance Elects New Board Members
New board members and officers were elected at the Spring Grassroots Connect show in Reno last month to serve in 2026. The organization also announced new locations in Oklahoma City, OK, and Omaha, NE, for its twice annual Connect buying show, set to start in Spring 2027.