Nike, Inc. Names Chief Communications Officer and Member of Senior Leadership Team
Effective July 7, 2025, Michael Gonda joins Nike from McDonald’s Corporation, where he held several senior leadership roles, including chief impact officer for North America and global chief communications officer.
NRF: Father’s Day Spending To Hit Record $24 Billion this Year
U.S. consumers are poised to spend a record $24 billion on Father’s Day this year, according to an annual survey from the National Retail Federation. Over three-quarters of consumers (76 percent) plan to celebrate the occasion, spending an average of $199.38 per person, up from $189.81 in 2024.
Maryland’s Molly’s Place to Open Second Location
The hunt & fish retailer serving Maryland’s Eastern Shore plans to open a second location in Easton, MD featuring a “more elevated, curated take on the beloved Molly’s Place experience.” Its original store is in Kennedyville, MD.
Iron Valley Supply Promotes Jeremy Jester to Director of Sales Strategy
Jeremy Jester is a 25-year veteran of the distributor of handguns, optic accessories, gun parts, ammunition and suppressors.
Dr. Martens Appoints Adidas Outdoor Exec as Chief Brand Officer
Carla Murphy was most recently global senior vice president and general manager for Adidas Outdoor and previously global chief brand & product officer for Icebreaker.
Woox Expands U.S. Sales Team Representation with Elite Outdoor Sports
The manufacturer of rifle stocks, knives, axes, and accessories has retained Elite Outdoor Sports, based in Alta, WY, for representation in the hunting and shooting sports channel.
Oofos Opens First U.S. Retail Stores
The recovery footwear brand, celebrating its 14th year, will open stores in Pentagon City, Arlington, VA; the Mall of Georgia, Buford, GA; and the Florida Mall, Orlando, FL.
Kizik Appoints Former Nike Exec as CEO
Kizik and its parent company, HandsFree Labs, appointed Gareth Hosford, a former executive at Nike and Converse, as CEO. Most recently, he led the launch and scaling of Omorpho, a Portland, OR-based performance wear and fitness equipment start-up, as both CFO and COO.
StockX Hires New Head of Creative
Daniel De Jesus Krueger, joins the company from Fulwell Entertainment, formerly The Springhill Company, which LeBron James and Maverick Carter founded. Krueger also led The Nike Brand Studio at Uninterrupted, a media company founded in 2014 by James and Carter.
VF Corp. Spin-Off Completes Acquisition of Helly Hansen
Kontoor Brands Inc. (KTB), the former denim unit of VF Corp, completed the acquisition of Helly Hansen from Canadian Tire Corp. for approximately $900 million. The acquisition is expected to be immediately accretive to KTB’s revenue, earnings and cash flow this year.
Topgolf Callaway Completes Sale of Jack Wolfskin to Anta Sports
Topgolf Callaway Brands Corp. completed the sale of Jack Wolfskin to Anta Sports, the largest shareholder of Arc’teryx, Wilson and Salomon parent Amer Sports, for $290 million. Callaway acquired Jack Wolfskin in 2019 for $476 million.
Fanatics to Manage Utah Jazz and Utah Mammoth Fan Shops
The Mammoth becomes the fourth NHL club for which Fanatics operates in-venue retail, while the Jazz join as Fanatics’ 12th NBA partner, eight of which are omnichannel.
Stack Athletics Acquires Vulcan Pickleball
Chaifetz Group, owners of Major League Pickleball’s St. Louis Shock franchise and a broad portfolio of other organizations in the sport, also participated in the deal and will hold an interest in the merged companies and a seat on the newly created Board of Directors.
Shoe Carnival’s Sales Slide in Q1, Accelerates Shoe Station Expansion
Shoe Carnival, Inc.’s earnings fell in the first quarter as sales slid 7.5 percent. However, the family shoe chain said its rebanner strategy is seeing strong success and Shoe Station is now expected to represent over 80 percent of its store fleet by March 2027, up from a previous target of 51 percent.
Kohl’s Trims Q1 Loss, Same-Store Sales Slide 3.9 Percent
Kohl’s Corp. narrowed its loss in the first quarter ended May 3 as sales declined 4.1 percent. The retailer maintained its guidance for the year.
