adidas CEO Signals U.S. Upside in 2004…
Adidas-Salomon CEO Herbert Hainer was quoted in a Reuters report that the adidas is expecting flat sales in the U.S. in 2004, and may even be “slightly positive”. He said they expect to see “first signs of improvement” in the second half and that it will
And Heads to U.S. Court in Stripe Fight…
In other adidas news, the company has reportedly filed suit against U.S. Polo Association in the U.S. District Court in Portland for trademark infringement. The suit claims that a USPA shoe is a copy of the adidas Superstar product, but with one less str
Ups and Downs in Nike’s Europe…
Spain’s Supreme Court ruled in 1999 that the Nike brand name did not in fact belong to Nike, Inc., at least if the company wanted to market apparel in Spain. Cidesport, a company that had been a licensee of the Nike name was said to be the lawful owner o
Aldila Gets Leaner and Meaner
Aldila reported that fourth quarter net sales rose 6.6% from $9.1 million in 2002 to $9.8 million in the final quarter of 2003. The company managed to reduce their net loss for the quarter as well, down 28.3% from ($1.7 million) in 2002 to ($1.3 million)
Acushnet Pays up to Protect Titleist…
Acushnet and Nitro Leisure Products have settled a suit out of court. Nitro refurbishes used Titleist golf balls and re-sells them for half to a third of the original retail price. At issue is Nitro’s actions that involved collecting used balls and subs
Commerce Dept. Confirms Strong Retail Numbers for January…
Retail sales results released by the U.S. Commerce Department show that total retail sales excluding motor vehicles rose 0.9% seasonally adjusted for the January 2004 period versus December 2003 and increased a healthy 6.8% unadjusted year-over-year for J
New Toolbox for the Outdoor Industry…
The Outdoor Industry Association has taken a very important first step toward growing human powered outdoor participation by completing the most exhaustive research study of consumer trends conducted to-date. This research does not specifically solve any
K2 Sees the Model Come Together Quickly…
K2 Inc. has their model in full swing as economies of scale and production efficiencies take hold to help their acquisitions deliver profits sooner than most expected. CEO Dick Heckman feels that K2 “laid the foundation for future growth” in 2003 after c
All In the Family at Johnson Outdoors?
Samuel C. Johnson, majority shareholder and director of Johnson Outdoors, and his daughter, Helen Johnson-Leipold, chairman and CEO of Johnson Outdoors, have made an offer to purchase all outstanding shares of Johnson Outdoors and take it private. Accordi
Huffy Widens Loss; Makes Gen-X Cuts…
Huffy Corporation, on the other hand, is looking to its Service group as a profit center and will make the move this year to consolidate all brand operations under one Sporting Goods division, leaving the company with just two divisions. The company said
Stuck in the Middle with You…
In an exciting and provocative new book entitled Trading Up, Boston Consulting Group members Neil Fiske and Michael Silverman help to explain the seeming disappearance of the middle class shopper. In recent years we have seen the growing strength of the
Schutt to Distribute Impact’s Shoulder Pads
Schutt Sports will serve as the exclusive sales representative for Impact Protective Equipment's new football shoulder pad. The shoulder pad, worn last season by leading NFL athletes, will be marketed by Schutt to high school and college teams…
Collective Inks Airwalk SnowSports Licensee for Japan
Collective Licensing International, LLC has entered into a licensing agreement with UFU Inc. to distribute and market Airwalk branded snowboarding gear including Airwalk branded boots, snowboards, bindings, and snow outerwear in Japan. UFU expects to see
Wilson Racquet Sports Names New RandD Team
Wilson Racquet Sports has named Bill Severa as the Director of Technology for the Racquet Sports newly formed Innovations & Design Group. Severa, who has been with Wilson for 21 years, was the Senior Designer for the last seven years. He started with Wil
SRAM Places Focus on The Road
SRAM celebrated a huge 2003 on the road starting with Tour de France. SRAM also placed their drivetrain components in the Men’s and Women’s USPRO Criterium Championships. Heading into 2004 SRAM hopes to continue its success with several strong domestic pr
