Industry Vendors See Q2 Sales and Profits Shrink
Vendors in the active sports and outdoor market reversed the trends of the year-ago period and swung into negative territory in just about every measure of financial health in the second quarter. The warning signs of the second quarter last year when pro
Diadora Sale Deal Postponed
The sale of Diadora to the founder of footwear firm Geox SpA has been put on hold until next month by an Italian bankruptcy court. The Italian-based Diadora SpA in June agreed to sell its business to Geox SpA's founder and chairman, Mario Moretti Pol
Puma, Adidas Make PEACE
Employees from long-time industry rivals Adidas and Puma will shake hands for the first time in six decades in support of the peace initiative “PEACE ONE DAY.” As a sign of amicable cooperation, employees of both companies will play football together on
Puma Loses Trademark Case in South Africa
The Supreme Court of Appeal in South Africa dismissed an application for trademark infringement brought by Puma against Global Warming, a South Africa-based importer and distributor of footwear…
Skate Footwear Shoes Hit a Bump – Not the Wall!
Although skate shoes are showing some signs of softening, the category certainly is not in crash mode. Conversations within the industry as well as data from SportScanINFO indicates that what's occurring is a slowing in sales gains in the recessionar
Merrell President Retires from Wolverine
Scott Sible, the president of the Merrell and Chaco brands at Wolverine World Wide, has decided to retire at the end of the year…
FINA: Body Suit Ban Won’t Apply to Open Water
FINA, swimming’s international governing body, rules recently that body suits will be allowed in open water events next year. Body suits have been outlawed for pool swimming, but FINA has confirmed that the same rules will not apply to open water sw
Hanesbrands Exiting Much of Its Yarn Operations
Hanesbrands Inc., the parent of Champion, has entered into an agreement to sell most of its yarn manufacturing operations to Parkdale, a yarn manufacturer based in Gastonia, NC. The company said self-production doesn’t provide a strategic advantage
Schutt Sports Still Negotiating with the City of Litchfield
Schutt Sports continues to work with the city of Litchfield, IL, on ways to keep the sports equipment maker headquartered in that town…
Shoe Carnival Benefiting from Strip Mall Demand, Move to Value
Kerry Jackson, Shoe Carnival's CFO, speaking at CL King's Best Idea's conference, said that the family footwear retailer doesn't know whether the current promotional climate may lead to some “permanent change” in retailing, but he said
Genesco CEO Sees Special Circumstances Leading to Solid Back Half
Speaking at the CL King's Best Idea's conference, Genesco CEO Bob Dennis said a number of circumstances – including dismal year-ago comparisons, specific sales opportunities among brands, and expense measures – will help the company have a much
Fortune Brands Sees Some Stability in Golf Market
Fortune Brands, which owns the Titleist, Cobra and FootJoy golf brands, said its golf business outside the U.S. has grown 54% over the last five years as the sport has taken off globally with particular strength in Asia. Bruce Carbonari, Fortune Brands&#
SEW Sits Down with… TapouT’s Dan Caldwell and Marc Kreiner
SEW goes One-On-One with key executives that are making news in the sporting goods, athletic footwear and/or athletic apparel markets. This week, SEW sat down with Dan “Punkass” Caldwell, co-founder of TapouT, and current company CEO Marc Kre
Tough Second Quarter Impacts Sales and Profits
During the second quarter of 2008, the first signs of the coming financial crisis were just beginning to be seen by retailers and vendors. Today, the outdoor industry is living in the reality of a market that is vastly different than it was 12 months ago.
The Outdoor Foundation Participation Report Outlines Opportunities
According to The Outdoor Foundation, 2008 was marked by encouraging participation growth in important segments of core outdoor activities. However, youth participation continued to decline – albeit at a less dramatic rate than in years past…
