Life Time Partners with Australian Activewear Brand LSKD
Life Time signed an agreement with LSKD, the Australian activewear company, to outfit its nearly 5,000 female coaches, instructors and trainers across its more than 165 athletic country clubs in North America. It has a similar agreement with Ten Thousand as the exclusive men’s fitness training apparel brand.
VF Corp. Names New VP/GM For Vans EMEA Region
VF Corp. promoted Andreas Olsson to VP/GM of Vans EMEA, effective July 17. Olsson had been the VP of sales at Vans for the EMEA region.
QBP Named Exclusive Distributor of Sidi Cycling Shoes and Accessories
QBP said it is launching its long-term partnership with Sidi and existing Sidi retailers in the U.S. with a prebook sales program for the 2024 collection of road, mountain and gravel shoes, and accessories.
Carbitex Founder Returns as President; Outsources Manufacturing to Asia
In a strategic shift in manufacturing operations, Carbitex Founder Junus Khan is stepping back into the role of company president, and the company hired Patrick Sinner to lead brand product development.
Backpacker’s Pantry Hires Director of Marketing
Backpacker’s Pantry and Astronaut Foods hired industry veteran Chris Dickerson as its new marketing director.
True Religion Appoints Pac Sun Marketing Vet as Chief Marketing Officer
True Religion hired Kristen D’Arcy as chief marketing officer, a newly-created role at the company, reporting to CEO Michael Buckley. The position was reported to be an instrumental component in True Religion’s future growth strategy.
Zamberlan USA Hires Director of Operations
Zamberlan USA hired Chris Rischke as director of operations. Most recently, Rischke was VP of operations and wholesale at Erem, the sustainable footwear brand.
Water Sports Industry Association Makes Hires, Names VP of Government Affairs
The Water Sports Industry Association (WSIA), based in Orlando, promoted Lee Gatts to vice president of government affairs. The non-profit also hired Aaron Hallenberg as Northwest government affairs manager, Ethan Hellier as Midwest government affairs manager and Megan Thielfoldt as communications and marketing director.
Play It Again Sports’ Parent Sees Q2 Profits Improve Sharply
Winmark Corp., the parent of Play It Again Sports, reported earnings improved 14.9 percent in the second quarter ended July 1.
Camping World Holdings Promotes Two Execs to EVP Roles
Camping World Holdings, Inc. promoted Brenda Wintrow and William Colling, II, to executive vice president roles. The company said the appointments reflected its commitment to recognizing and developing talent from within while further strengthening its leadership team as it works toward continued growth.
Lezyne Inks Partnership with New Swiss Distributor
German bike accessories brand Lezyne has partnered with Swiss distributor Chris Sports AG, effective September 1, transferring responsibility from current partner TST-GPR.
Birkenstock’s Debt Ratings Upgraded on Strong Operating Performance
S&P Global Ratings raised its debt ratings on Birkenstock as the German-based footwear brand’s sales growth of close to 29 percent and S&P Global Ratings-adjusted EBITDA margin of 29 percent in fiscal 2022 outperformed the rating agency’s expectations.
New Report Finds Interest in Solo Camping Jumped in 2022
A new report published by the camping information and booking app The Dyrt found that there was a growing interest in camping alone among its community.
U.S. Trade Activity Rebounds But Global Trend Continues to Weaken
Volume of new orders and invoices exchanged between U.S. buyers and their suppliers grew at 3 points above its expected range in Q2, recovering from a level 6 points below the baseline in the previous two quarters.
Fashion Brand Styched Acquires India Sneaker Startup Flatheads
Styched, an online apparel brand based in India and founded in 2019, acquired Flatheads, a direct-to-customer (DTC) online casual sneaker start-up that gained attention after appearing in season two of Shark Tank India.
