Bianchi Buys Signficant Minority Stake in SOLA of Australia
Italian bicycle maker FIV Edoardo Bianchi SpA has acquired a significant minority stake in Sport Outdoor Leisure Australia Pty Ltd ( SOLA ), its exclusive distributor in Australia and one of Australia’s most prominent distributors of outdoor brands
Pon Holdings Acquires Cervélo
Pon Holdings announced Friday that it had acquired Cervélo Cycles of Toronto, after successfully concluding negotiations that began last December. Cervélo co-founders Phil White and Gerard Vroomen will both…
Target Sued Over Toning Shoes
Following litigation against New Balance, Reebok and Skechers over their toning shoes, a plaintiff has filed a class action against Target alleging that the retailer's “TrimStep” footwear was deceptively advertised…
Billabong Considers TPG’s Revised Takeover Bid
Billabong said Monday it will consider a revised Aus$765.3 million (U.S. $825.3 mm) takeover offer from U.S. private-equity firm TPG Capital. TPG made an offer of the same value early last week, but that proposal precluded asset sales. The initial offer w
Former Reebok VP to Launch Fashion Brand Supremebeing in US
The Peloton Group, the new brand marketing company founded by Richard Prenderville, has become the exclusive US distributor of fashion brand supremebeing…
Sports, Inc. Adds Five New Dealers
Sports, Inc. Athletics Division announced the addition of five new dealers to its membership. T&T Sporting Goods (Columbia, SC), Cascade Athletic Supply (Medford, OR), and Matty’s Sports (Miami, FL) became official members in January, while Locker
PR Vets Partner, Sign up Two New Clients
What's UP Public Relations and SOAR Communications have partnered to share assets and abilities to best serve new clients, including the new accounts of Scandinavian apparel-maker Bergans of Norway and startup premium sport trailer manufacturer Road
Lack of Snow Finally Catches up with Ski Resort Occupancy, Reservations
Occupancy at ski resort properties declined 3.7 percent in January from year earlier levels, while reservations taken during the month for the January through June period plunged nearly 24 percent, according to Denver-based Mountain Travel Research Progra
Gramicci Hires Western Region Account Manager
Gramicci has hired Moss Bemis to be its western region account manager as part of a company wide sales and service expansion initiative. Bemis will be managing the business in California, Arizona, New Mexico and Nevada..
OIA VantagePoint: Slower January Ends Solid Fiscal 2012
Outdoor Industry Association® and The SportsOneSource Group released the January 2012 OIA VantagePoint™ Outdoor Industry Monthly Trend Report, which caps off the fiscal year with some complex results — mostly due to the unusually late and tame onset of wi
Billabong Profits Tumble in First Half
Billabong International Ltd. reported earnings slid 71.8 percent in its fiscal half ended Dec. 31 to Australian $16.1 million (U.S.$16.4 mm) from $Aus57.2 million a year earlier. Excluding an after-tax impact of an impairment charge expense of Aus$15.0 mi
Golfsmith Promotes Sue Gove to President
Golfsmith International Holdings, Inc. announced that Sue E. Gove has been appointed president of the company, in addition to maintaining her role as chief operating officer and chief financial officer…
Warm Weather No Problem for VF Corp.
VF Corp. reported profits for the fourth quarter on an adjusted basis jumped 34 percent, benefiting from the acquisition of Timberland Co. as well more than 20 percent growth for The North Face and Vans brands…
Skechers’ Toning Hangover Continues
Skechers USA, Inc. reported fourth-quarter sales slumped 37.7 percent to $283.2 million. While the decline reflected difficult comparisons against a record fourth quarter 2010 that included higher priced toning footwear, it also reflected lower-than-expec
Latin America Fuels Double-Digit Q4 Growth for Puma
Puma reported earnings more than doubled in the fourth quarter as currency-neutral sales grew 15.8 percent. For the full year, Puma, controlled by French luxury goods group PPR, accomplished its goal of reaching €3 billion ($3.96 bn) in revenues. Ea
