SGB Update Outdoor
Outdoor Industry Addresses Racial Injustices On Social Media
The North Face, REI, Patagonia, Merrell and Columbia Sportswear all issued messages of support for those protesting racial injustice.
NRF Chief Economist Said ‘Uncertainty Abounds’ In Predicting Recovery From Coronavirus Pandemic
While the reopening of businesses shut down by the coronavirus pandemic is a significant step forward, it is too soon to say how quickly or smoothly the nation’s economy will recover, National Retail Federation Chief Economist Jack Kleinhenz said.
NRF Issues Statement On Incidents At Retail Stores
In response to the incidents involving retailers following the death of George Floyd, NRF’s President and CEO Matthew Shay said in a statement, “Defacing, looting and plundering businesses, whether viewed as a direct outgrowth of fury or an opportunistic act of vandalism and theft, impedes progress and healing.”
VF’s CEO In Employee Memo Compares Racism To Virus
In a letter sent May 30 to all employees entitled, “Racism is another virus to eradicate,” VF chairman, president and CEO Steve Rendle called George Floyd’s death “tragic” and “stomach-churning” — and likened racism to the coronavirus pandemic.
Columbia Sportswear’s CEO Speaks Out Against Racism
In a letter to employees, Tim Boyle, chairman, president and CEO, of Columbia Sportswear, said the company fully supports “all victims of racism and all who speak out and act against racial injustice.”
L.L.Bean And National Park Foundation Receive 2020 Silver Halo Award
The National Park Foundation (NPF) and L.L.Bean were awarded the 2020 Silver Halo Award winner in the experiential/event category. In 2019, L.L.Bean leveraged its Find Your Park partnership with NPF to bring its S’more out of Summer campaign to life.
NPD Report: Consumers Ready To Hit The Road This Summer
According to a recent report compiled by The NPD Group, key camping, RV, and road trip essentials are seeing double- and triple-digit growth as national parks and other areas around the country begin to reopen.
National Park Visits Show Some Recovery In May
National park visits were down 2.3 percent in May after falling 22.8 percent in April and 16.4 percent in March amid park closures and social-distancing restrictions, according to the National Parks Service.
Roots Appoints Meghan Roach As Chief Executive Officer
Roots, the Toronto-based outdoor lifestyle brand, announced that after completing a search conducted by a leading international recruiting firm, the company’s Board of Directors has appointed Meghan Roach as chief executive officer. She replaces Jim Gabel.
Decathlon’s Debt Ratings Affirmed By S&P Despite COVID-19 Impact
S&P Global Ratings said it expects Decathlon’s sales, earnings and cash generation “will decline sharply” in 2020 versus 2019 due to government COVID-19 lockdown measures that closed the majority of its stores. But the rating agency affirmed its ‘A-2’ short-term rating on the company as it expects the French sporting goods chain’s strong record of 10 percent to 15 percent annual growth to resume in 2022.
Yeti Announces Pricing Of Secondary Offering
Yeti Holdings Inc. announced the pricing of an underwritten public offering of 6.07 million shares at a public offering price of $32.65 per share.
Burton U.S. Open Canceled
Burton Snowboards announced that due to ongoing uncertainties around COVID-19, the company has made the difficult decision to cancel the 2021 Burton U.S. Open Snowboarding Championships, which was slated to take place March 1 to 6, 2021 at Vail Mountain Resort in Vail, CO.
Big 5 Posts Q1 Loss, Sees May Sales Recovering
Big 5 Sporting Goods Corp. reported a loss in the first quarter ended March 30 that came in line with projections provided in late February and said April’s comps tumbled 39 percent due to store closures tied to the pandemic. However, May’s sales and merchandising margins are seeing an uptick as stores reopen.
GoPro’s VP Of Design Exits
Danny Coster, GoPro Inc.’s VP of Design, left the company earlier this year, according to Bloomberg.
ISPO To Launch Digital Live Conference
ISPO has developed a digital live conference, ISPO Re.Start Days, for the sports and outdoor industry. The event, to be held between June 30 and July 1, will offer orientation for the “new normality” during and after COVID-19.
