SGB Update Sports & Fitness
Surf Hardware International Relocates Global Headquarters
Surf Hardware International relocated its global headquarters to Australia’s Coffs Harbour and is trading under the name of Gowings Pacific Trader.
Peloton Hires SVP, Apparel & Accessories
Peloton hired Cédric Fletcher, a former Nike and Under Armour merchant, as SVP of apparel and accessories.
S&P Raises Authentic Brands Debt Ratings on Improved Performance
S&P Global Ratings raised the debt rating of Authentic Brands Group, LLC after the company outperformed its previous forecast for its sizable 2022 acquisition of Reebok and recently-closed acquisition of Boardriders, Inc. S&P said the company funded the Boardriders acquisition with less debt than previously expected due to new equity from its financial sponsors.
Dave Haggerty Elected to Another Term as ITF President
Haggerty was re-elected as president of the International Tennis Federation at the 2023 ITF Annual General Meeting in Cancun, Mexico, on September 24, receiving 73 percent of the votes. He will serve a four-year term from 2023/27.
Nike Extends Refurbished Program To Nike.com
Nike extended its Refurbished program to its website, offering discounts on refurbished sneakers. The company introduced the program at select Nike and Nike Factory Outlet stores in April 2021 to support its broader Move to Zero climate change initiative.
M&S | The Sports Edit Adds Activewear Brands To Growing Platform
Marks & Spencer’s M&S | The Sports Edit is adding Adidas, Columbia, Sweaty Betty, Regatta and Sorel to its dedicated sportswear platform on M&S.com as part of its continued push into the sportswear category.
New Balance Opens Concept Store in London
New Balance opened an experiential concept store in London’s Westfield Stratford City Mall, targeting younger consumers. The store is the company’s third globally. The first opened in Guangzhou, China, in 2022, and the second in February 2023 at 124 Newbury Street in Boston.
Adidas Sues LIV Golf For Trademark Infringement Over Logo
Adidas filed a lawsuit against LIV Golf, the Saudi Arabian golf league, for trademark infringement, charging the ‘L’ in LIV’s logo looks too similar to its iconic ‘three stripes’ brand.
Report: August Golf Rounds Played Report Sees Weakening Growth
Golf Datatech reported that U.S. golf rounds played were up 0.1 percent year-over-year for August 2023 and increased 4.1 percent year-to-date, a clear moderation from the 3.2 percent increase GDT reported in July.
Life Time Opens First Bay Area Athletic Country Club
Life Time opened its newest luxury athletic country club, Life Time Walnut Creek, the first location in the San Francisco Bay Area and first to open in a shopping center-based location with Macerich.
Bain Forecasts Nominal U.S. Holiday Sales Gain
Bain & Company forecasted nominal U.S. retail sales to slow this holiday season, with the lowest growth rate since 2018. Unadjusted seasonal sales are expected to grow 3.0 percent year-over-year (YoY) in November and December, reaching nearly $915 billion, with 90 percent of the growth coming from non-store (e-commerce and mail-order) sales.
PGA Tour Superstore to Open Location in Greater Richmond Area
PGA Tour Superstore reported it plans to open a store in early 2024 in Glen Allen, VA, its first in the greater Richmond market, at Colonnades West, on the corner of Cox Road and West Broad Street.
Survey Finds 92 Percent of Consumers Cut Spending This Year; Apparel Tops Cuts
A recent CNBC-Morning Consult survey found that 92 percent of U.S. adults reduced their spending over the past six months, and the majority expect to remain frugal through the 2023 holiday shopping season.
Nike Rise Store to Open in Birmingham, England
Nike plans to open a Nike Rise concept store in Birmingham, its second to open in the U.K. and the first outside of London, according to Hammerson, the British property development and investment company that owns Bullring.
Gartner Survey Points to Softer Holiday Spending
According to a survey of 302 consumers conducted in June by Gartner, Inc., only nine percent of respondents said they plan to spend more this holiday season than in 2022, with 28 percent saying they will spend less and 63 percent saying they would spend the same.
