Wilson To End Partnership With USPTA
The United States Professional Tennis Association, Inc. (USPTA) announced that after seven years, Wilson Sporting Goods has moved away from its endorsement partnership—providing racquets, balls, strings, and other equipment to its members and programs.
US Sports Camps Hires SVP Tennis & Pickleball
US Sports Camps (USSC), the official provider of Nike Sports Camps, announced the addition of Mike Nakajima as the new senior VP of tennis/pickleball. He was formerly Nike’s tennis sports marketing director.
VF’s Debt Ratings Downgraded By S&P
S&P Global Ratings lowered its debt ratings on VF Corp. as the company’s credit metrics are expected to remain pressured with leverage above 3x in fiscal 2023 due to elevated debt levels. The downgrade follows a similar move by Moody’s in mid-October.
Vittoria Group Hires Managing Director For North America
Vittoria Group, the Italian bicycle tire manufacturer, hired Karim Pine as managing director for North America. Pine succeeds Glenn Lee, who now heads up its newly formed global accessories business unit, North America.
Academy Sports Opens Store In Houston
Academy Sports + Outdoors opened a store in Meyerland, TX, its 33rd store in the Houston area, and its 107th store in Texas.
REI Names VP, Financial Planning And Analysis
REI Co-op hired Patrick Fell as vice president, financial planning and analysis, effective November 7. Most recently, he was vice president of finance at StockX.
ESPN Sells Majority Interest In X Games
ESPN sold its majority stake in the X and Winter X Games to MSP Sports Capital, a sports-focused private equity firm that has stakes in McLaren Racing and some European soccer teams.
Ugg Opens First ‘Feel House’ Pop-Up In Brooklyn
Ugg opened its first Feel House pop-up “dedicated to self-expression,” in the Williamsburg neighborhood in Brooklyn that draws a fashionable crowd.
LA Gear Partners With Fred Segal To Support Relaunch
LA Gear will relaunch on November 18, 2022, with Creative Director Dave Osokow and retail partner Fred Segal, ahead of its 40th anniversary.
Pou Sheng Issues Profit Warning
Pou Sheng, the retail subsidiary of Yue Yuen, forecasted a decline in year-over-year net profits due to weak consumer sentiment in China associated with COVID-19 lockdowns and lower store traffic in cities where it operates.
EBay Acquires TCGplayer
EBay, Inc. completed its acquisition of TCGplayer, a collectible card game marketplace, for a deal value of up to approximately $295 million.
Nike Opens Store In Harlem
Nike opened a Nike Unite store in Harlem. Located on 125th Street, this is Nike’s northernmost Manhattan location.
Ross Stores To Open 40 Locations
Ross Stores, Inc. recently opened twenty-eight Ross Dress for Less and twelve dd’s Discount stores across 21 states in September and October. The new stores complete the company’s growth plans for fiscal 2022 with the addition of 99 new stores.
Garmin Wins Patent Lawsuit Over Smartwatch Technology
Garmin International, Inc., a subsidiary of Garmin, Ltd., won its patent lawsuit brought by Logantree LP against Garmin in Kansas federal court.
Outdoor Edge Cutlery Grows Sales Team
Outdoor Edge Cutlery hired Marty Owens as vice president of sales, East. The manufacturer of knives, blades and hand tools also hired manufacturer’s rep groups—Odle Sales Agency (Midwest), Wild West Marketing (West), Murski Breeding Sales (Southeast), and JKS Unlimited (Northeast).
