NSSF-Adjusted NICS Background Checks Flattish In May
The May 2023 NSSF-adjusted National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) figure of 1,174,142 is a decrease of 0.1 percent compared to the May 2022 NSSF-adjusted NICS figure of 1,174,791.
New Balance Breaks Ground On Maine Factory Expansion
New Balance broke ground to expand its athletic footwear manufacturing factory in Skowhegan, ME. The $65 million, 120,000-square-foot single-story addition, scheduled to be completed by the end of 2024, will add 200 jobs and double the factory’s production capabilities.
Gatorade Opens New Sports Science Lab
Gatorade opened its newest Gatorade Sports Science Institute (GSSI) Research & Development lab in Valhalla, NY. The R&D facility will support product development across all Gatorade portfolio brands, including Gatorade, Fast Twitch, Propel, Muscle Milk, and Evolve.
Winchester Ammo Parent Adds Board Member
Olin Corp., the parent of the Winchester firearms brand, appointed Julie Piggott to serve on the company’s Compensation Committee and Nominating and Governance Committee of Olin’s Board.
BRP, Inc. Appoints New President Of Its Marine Group
BRP, Inc., the parent company of the Sea-Doo, Ski-Doo and Lynx brands, appointed long-standing BRP executive Bernard Guy as president of its Marine Group effective immediately.
Icebreaker’s North America GM Adds Smartwool Responsibility For Region
Smartwool and Icebreaker reported that Icebreaker’s general manager for North America, Noah Bryan, will assume responsibility for Smartwool’s North America region as well, effective immediately.
Sea To Summit Appoints Layne Rigney To Board Of Directors
Sea to Summit, headquartered in Perth, Western Australia, appointed Layne Rigney to its Board of Directors. He joins the Board from Denver, CO, as a non-executive director with C-Suite level experience to further accelerate the brand in North America and the EMEA.
Mountain Khakis Hires New Sales Director
With 20-plus years of experience in sales and retail roles, Mountain Khakis hired Justin Julian as sales director.
Nike Opens A Nike Live Location In Kentucky
Nike opened a Nike Live store at the Oxmoor Center, a shopping mall in Louisville, KY. Dubbed “Nike by Louisville,” the 4,900-square-foot space sits between Dick’s Sporting Goods and Von Maur department store.
Camping World Holdings To Acquire RV Center Outside Seattle
Camping World Holdings, Inc. plans to acquire Roy Robinson RV Center in the greater Seattle, WA market. The acquisition will reportedly close in the third quarter of 2023, increasing Camping World’s Washington location count to seven.
Twin Vee PowerCats Acquires Aquasport
Twin Vee PowerCats, the manufacturer of power sport catamaran boats, announced that it acquired the Aquasport boat brand and its 150,000-square-foot manufacturing facility in White Bluff, TN.
SGB Media Reports Top 25 Most-Read Articles For May 2023
SGB Media’s Top 25 most-read articles for May 2023 include the unfortunate news about an industry leader passing away; staff cuts at various companies; a lawsuit against former employees; tough Q1 results amid heavy inventories for both brands and retailers; and several reports covering the Adidas x Yeezy debacle. On the upside, the top stories SGB Media covered for the month included…
Skeleton Optics Acquired
Skeleton Optics, Inc., the sunglass and protective eyewear brand based in Wellington, FL, was acquired by Stronger Leadership. Mark and Lori Llano founded the company in 2015.
SellerX Acquires U.S. Amazon Aggregator
SellerX, headquartered in Berlin and one of the largest e-commerce aggregators in Europe, acquired Elevate Brands, one of the largest e-commerce aggregators in the U.S. The combined business, SellerX Group, will become one of the largest global consolidators of e-commerce brands with over €400 million in total sales.
Saks Survey: Luxury Spending Shifts To Travel, Savings
Saks’ latest Luxury Pulse Survey*, fielded in late April and early May, found that respondents were concerned (60 percent) about the overall economy but optimistic (67 percent) about their financial situation. Compared to the retailer’s last survey in late January, spending on luxury goods decelerated as consumers focused more on savings and travel.
