Gymshark Opens Store in Manchester, England
The company opened a store in Manchester, marking its first standalone UK store outside of London. The activewear brand now has five stores with plans to open a store in New York City later this year.
Echelon Fitness Acquires B2B Fitness Streaming Platform
The manufacturer of connected fitness products, has acquired Fortë, a B2B fitness streaming platform that enables gyms, boutique studios, influencers, and sports organizations to launch live and on-demand fitness programs. Fortë will be rebranded to “Elevate by Echelon”.
Vuori Accelerates Global Expansion with New Stores in Asia
Vuori announced an acceleration of its global expansion in Asia with the opening of its first stores in Seoul, Korea, this September under a franchise partnership, followed by another in Beijing, China in October. The California activewear brand has also expanded its digital reach with its e-commerce platform now live in 11 additional countries.
Skechers’ Investor Loses Bid To Block Take-Private Deal
A California federal judge refused to block private equity 3G Capital from taking Skechers private for $9.4 billion, finding that the pension plan that owns Skechers’ shares failed to show it would be irreparably harmed without the injunction.
Nordisk Forms Partnership to Expand In China
The Danish outdoor brand entered a partnership with K2 Korea and China’s BA Capital to establish a strategic joint venture in China, including the opening of the first Nordisk stores in the country.
Arc’teryx to Open Store in Bethesda, Maryland
The store at Westfield Montgomery Mall in Bethesda, MD, is expected to open this fall. The outdoor brand, owned by Amer Sports, operates two stores nearby in Washington, D.C., including one in the Georgetown area.
Survey: Dads Lead Move to Earlier BTS Shopping Trend
A survey commissioned by Smarty, a rewards app, found 70 percent of U.S. consumers are starting their BTS shopping earlier than in previous years amid tariff concerns, with dads taking the lead across nearly every category, from spending more to prioritizing quality.
Matt Ginella Joins KemperSports Via Fire Pit Acquisition
Fire Pit Productions will become a subsidiary of KemperSports and company Founder Matt Ginella will serve as KemperSports’ chief storyteller.
Swing Control Adds Brand Manager to Nancy Robitaille’s Designer Role
Before joining Swing Control, Robitaille spent over a decade as the head designer at Fila Golf Sportswear for Fersten Worldwide. She was also a designer for Fitmatics Performance Apparel for Fersten.
Tiger Finance Appoints Managing Director, National Sales
Tiger Finance, which has invested in several active lifestyle and retail businesses, promoted Jason Rae, an asset-based lending veteran, as managing director, National Sales. Rae previously co-led Tiger Valuation Services’ Business Development team and covered the New England and Canadian markets.
Li & Fung Acquires UK-Based Hosiery Supplier Orrsum
Hong Kong-headquartered supply chain management company Li & Fung has acquired Orrsum, a UK-based manufacturer of hosiery, underwear and loungewear, for an undisclosed amount.sed sum. Founded in 1998, Orrsum reports that it produces over 50 million pairs of socks for distribution to more than 5,000 retail doors worldwide each year.
EoS Fitness Secures Equity Investment from Performance Equity Management
Performance Equity Management, LLC (PEM), which initially invested in the fitness chain in 2015, plans to reinvest in the next phase of EoS’ growth following the May acquisition by TSG Consumer.
Centric Brands Appoints President of Kid’s Division
Based in New York, Rob Smith will report directly to CEO Jason Rabin as president of the company’s Kids’ Division and join the company’s executive leadership team. He replaces Steve Pinkow who has served as Kid’s Group president for 17 years.
Asics Recommits to Boston; Signs Lease on Downtown Office Space
The company has signed a lease to occupy 44,000 square feet of office space at 179 Lincoln Street in downtown Boston, a slightly smaller location compared to its nearby Boston headquarters, which measures 60,000 square feet and opened in 2018.
USA Triathlon Appoints Chief Development Officer for Foundation
The organization said Jason Rizzi’s appointment marks a continued commitment by the USA Triathlon Foundation to grow philanthropic investment in the sport, support Team USA athletes at all levels and create equitable opportunities for all.
