SGB Update Sports & Fitness
PGA of America Names Chief Operating Officer
The PGA of America named Phil Anderson as its chief operating officer, a role responsible for advancing the association’s strategic priorities, operational performance and PGA of America Member services.
On Brand Opens First Boston Store
On Holding announced the formal opening of its first retail store in Boston’s Back Bay neighborhood. The store marks the Swiss running brand’s 15th store in the U.S. and 70th store worldwide.
Rostudios Raises $32 Million, Opens Manhattan Flagship
Rostudios, the Amsterdam-based boutique fitness operator behind the Rocycle and Roform fitness boutiques, reported it recently raised $32 million in growth capital as it prepares to open its first U.S. studio in New York City this May.
Biometric Analysis Startup GameRun Raises $4 Million
GameRun, a startup using AI to analyze athlete movement and performance, raised $4 million in funding. The investor group consisted of former athletes, professional team owners, college coaches and athletic directors.
Play It Again Sports Sees Slight Q1 Earnings Decline
Winmark Corporation, the parent of Play It Again Sports and several other franchised operations, reported a modest decline in earnings due to a non-recurring benefit in the year-ago quarter.
March Retail Sales Climb Again as Tax Refunds Offset Rising Gas Prices
Retail sales rose again in March as consumers received higher-than-usual tax refunds that offset higher gasoline prices, according to the CNBC/NRF Retail Monitor. Total retail sales, excluding automobile dealers and gasoline stations, were up 0.4 percent seasonally adjusted month-over-month and up 6.59 percent unadjusted year-over-year.
Vuori Hires Heather Archibald to Newly-Created Chief Product Officer Role
Prior to Vuori, Archibald served in product leadership roles across global brands, including, most recently, as Rothy’s chief product and merchandising officer.
NSGA Sees Growth in 80 Percent of Tracked Sports in Annual Sports Participation Study
NSGA’s 2026 Edition of its Annual Sports Participation Study found 49 sports/activities, or 80 percent of the 61 tracked, showed increases in participation for 2025 compared to the prior year. Flag football, cheerleading, tennis, golf, pickleball, and hiking were among the sports seeing the strongest increases.
March 2026 Mall Index Sees Midday Traffic Shrinking Year-Over-Year
The softness seen in March at indoor and outlet malls does not negate the strong start to 2026, which drove overall year-over-year visit growth in Q1. However, it does highlight what will be required to sustain that momentum going forward.
Nike Returning to Manhattan’s SoHo Neighborhood With Smaller Store
Nike, after exiting its five-story flagship store in Manhattan’s SoHo district earlier this year, announced plans to open a new single-story store in a 40,217-square-foot space, formerly occupied by a Crate & Barrel at 611 Broadway.
Dick’s House of Sport to Open in Sarasota
Dick’s Sporting Goods plans to open a House of Sport location in Sarasota, becoming the experiential concept’s fourth location in the state of Florida and the first on the Suncoast.
Steph Curry, New York Knicks Top NBA Jersey Sales
Golden State Warriors’ Steph Curry and the New York Knicks secured the top spots on the NBA’s top-selling jersey and team merchandise lists for the 2025/2026 regular season, based on sales from NBAStore.com, Fanatics.com and Fanatics partner sites.
Gymshark to Open First Miami Gym
U.K.-based activewear brand Gymshark, which opened its first U.S. stores in 2025, will open its first-ever gym, in Miami’s Wynwood district. The new Gymshark Lifting Club is expected to open its doors this summer.
Lululemon Faces Texas State AG Investigation Over Potential Toxic Chemicals
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has launched an investigation into Lululemon over the potential presence of toxic “forever chemicals” (PFAS) in its apparel.
GoPro Tests Defense and Aerospace Market Opportunities
GoPro, Inc. announced that it will pursue new market opportunities for its technology within the defense and aerospace sector. It has engaged Oliver Wyman, a management consulting firm, to explore the space.
