
AMX Global Recalls Portable Folding Stadium Seats
The portable seat was sold under the BJ’s Wholesale or Black Sierra brand. Five reports were received of the security hook breaking, including two reports of falls and one injury involving bruising, headaches and a pinched nerve.

Barre3 Acquires Studio Barre to Expand Female-Owned Business
Studio Barre, the San Diego,CA-based barre brand founded in 2008 by Shannon Higgins, has 11 studios across California, Montana, Rhode Island, and South Carolina will be rebranded as Barre3.

Recall: TravisMathew Women’s and Men’s Sweatshirts and Hoodies
This recall is in cooperation with the CPSC and involves roughly 59,450 women’s half-zip sweatshirts and women’s and men’s full-zip and no-zip hoodies for violation to meet federal flammability standards.

Merrell Names Richard McLeod as Chief Marketing Officer
McLeod was, most recently VP and CMO at Champion. Prior to Champion, McLeod was SVP of Brand at Canada Goose.

Bass Pro Shops to Open Outpost in Arkansas
The Fort Smith, AK, store is expected to open in early 2026. The 70,000-square-foot location will be the retailer’s third in the state.

Arcus Hunting Names New National Sales Manager
Jim Heeren has been hired as national sales manager for the Midwest and Western U.S. regions, played a key role in launching a gun safe division for Dansons and spent 21 years at Cabela’s.

Retrospec Hires Evo Vet to Lead Growth with E-Commerce Focus
Nick Marvik was, most recently, a senior manager for growth marketing at outdoor gear retailer Evo.com for over nine years. In his new role, he will “take charge” of Retrospec’s e-commerce operations, performance marketing efforts and customer acquisition plans.

Momentec Brands Names Chief Technology Officer
Christine Rose will oversee Momentec Brands’ technology initiatives, including digital customer-facing platforms, enterprise infrastructure, supply chain systems, and information security.

Dick’s SG Begins Enrolling Non-Employees as Paid Social Media Influencers
Since launching as an internal program in 2023, Dick’s Varsity Team members have created over 1,000 pieces of social media content, garnering over 38 million impressions, and have been featured in 10 campaigns for both Dick’s and its national brands.

Crunch Franchise to Open in Portsmouth, VA
Brian Hibbard, CEO of Fitness Ventures, LLC and the owner and operator of Crunch Fitness locations nationwide, will open a 40,000-square-foot Crunch fitness facility in Portsmouth, VA, in Summer 2025.

Nordstrom to Open Rack Store in Longmont, CO
The Rack store will occupy a 28,000-square-foot space in the Harvest Junction Shopping Center, which includes Marshall’s, Best Buy, Dick’s Sporting Goods, Ulta Beauty, Ross Dress for Less, and other notable retailers. Harvest Junction is owned and managed by an affiliate of Pine Tree.

Report: Import Cargo Trends Remain Fluid Due to Tariff Threats
A strong December brought 2024 to a total of 25.5 million TEU, or Twenty-Foot Equivalent Units, up 14.8 percent from 2023 and the highest level since 2021’s record of 25.8 million TEU during the pandemic.

CNBC/NRF Retail Monitor Sees January Reporting Strong Retail Sales Gains
The Sporting Goods, Hobby, Music, and Bookstores segment was down 1.9 percent m/m, seasonally-adjusted, but up 2.82 percent y/y, unadjusted, after a very strong December trend.

Macy’s, Inc. Names Chief Stores Officer of Macy’s
Currently, Barbie Cameron is the senior vice president and regional director of stores for the East Region. Before that, she was the interim chief stores officer at Macy’s since August 2024.

Elan Appoints Central Europe Manager
Elan said Bernhard Leichtfried was promoted to general manager of Elan Central Europe, responsible for business in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. He jointed the company in September 2024 as sales and marketing director.