SGB Update

FESI Takes Interest In Stopping Counterfeit Goods

FESI, the Federation of the European Sporting Goods Industry, representing in Brussels the interests of some 1,800 European Sporting Goods Manufacturers, attended two European events on the fight against counterfeiting, product piracy and organised crime.

Retail Plays Keep Away with Middle of the Market…

It has been argued of late that the recent increase in the export of white collar jobs — on top of the loss of the U.S. manufacturing job base — may result in a society that lacks a middle class, and is instead dominated by the wealthy and the working p

Epstein Suddenly Departs Fila Parent…

Just days after Liz Claiborne finalized its acquisition of the Enyce brand from Fila, the architect of Fila’s management buyout by Cerberus Capital Management has resigned as president and CEO of the company set up to run the business. Sports Brands Inte

WRC After Lands’ End This Time…

Lands’ End is seeing the same kind of pressure from the Workers Rights Consortium that nearly drove New Era to move their production overseas. WRC conducted an assessment at the company’s Primo Factory in El Salvador, which is a source for much of Lands’

Huffy Shares Plunge after Company Issues Q4 Warning…

In a hastily arranged conference call with analysts last week, executives at Huffy Corporation lowered their guidance for the fiscal fourth quarter based on lagging November and flat October sales…

Martin Resigns CFO Post at Russell Corp.

Russell Corporation announced that Robert D. Martin, senior vice president and chief financial officer, will leave the company effective December 31, 2003. Eric N. Hoyle, Russell's CFO from 1998 to 2000, will assume responsibility as interim chief fi

Callaway Moving Hogan to Carlsbad…

We’ve been waiting for the other shoe to drop as Callaway Golf Company moves to consolidate the operations of its recently acquired Top-Flite Golf divisions…

G-III Repositions for Profitable Growth…

G-III Apparel Group, Ltd. has been busy cleaning up inventories and building a sportswear business to flatten out its sales cycles that have always depended upon outerwear sales…

At Retail, Apparel Means Profits in Q3…

While it appears at first glance that the Sporting Goods sector in our Q3 Retailer Performance Report (see page 11) outperformed the other sectors in net income growth, one only has to look at the extremely poor return on sales in the sector and it’s clea

Rebel Sport Posts Solid YTD Gains…

Australia’s largest sporting goods retailer, Rebel Sport, reported their five-month YTD sales numbers increased 8% to A$108.5 million (US $79.9 million). Excluding the Glue lifestyle stores, the core sporting goods stores posted a sales increase of 7.6%.

Kmart Closing New England D.C…

Kmart Holding Company announced that they will be closing their New England distribution center in Billerica, MA when the lease runs out in February. The closure will put 250 hourly workers and 40 managers out of a job after the new year…

Coleman Lays Off Production Workers…

Coleman is cutting back on their payroll costs through a series of layoffs at two different plants. In Wichita, KS, 142 employees, most of whom assemble propane products, will be furloughed and 181 sleeping bag manufacturing employees will be cut at the

Nordica and Subaru Join Forces

Subaru has entered a new marketing partnership with Nordica USA. Under the terms of the partnership, Nordica USA will officially join the Subaru Master the Mountain program, an instructional ski tour for skiers and snowboarders. Nordica USA will provide f