SGB Update Sports & Fitness
Nike and Salazar Settle Distance Runner’s Lawsuit
Nike and Alberto Salazar settled a $20 million lawsuit filed by long-distance runner and former Nike ambassador Mary Cain. Terms were not disclosed.
Slinger Bag Parent Posts Q3 Operating Loss
Connexa Sports Technologies, Inc., the parent of Slinger Bag, posted an operating loss of $1.2 million in the fiscal second quarter, which ended October 31, against a loss of $4.5 million a year ago.
Golf Rounds Dip In October
Golf Datatech reported that U.S. golf rounds played declined 1.0 percent year-over-year in October, the first monthly decline since March. Rounds remained up 3.3 percent year-to-date (YTD), according to the research firm’s National Rounds Played Report for October 2023.
Roark Names Active Lifestyle Industry Vet as CEO
New CEO Jason Steris joined action sports brand Volcom in its early years and spent 23 years at the brand, holding various positions from national sales manager to COO, president and CEO. More recently, he was CEO at the motocross and mountain bike gear brand Troy Lee Designs.
Genesco Taps Foot Locker Exec as Journeys Group President
Genesco, Inc. appointed Andy Gray as president of the Journeys Group, effective January 3, 2024. He joins the company from Foot Locker, Inc., succeeding Mario Gallione, who announced his retirement plans in August.
Tennis Express Re-Acquired by Founder
Houston, TX-based Tennis Express announced that Brad Blume, company founder, re-acquired full ownership in the retail and online business from Signa Sports United
Wilson Opens Storefront in Mall of America
Wilson Sporting Goods Co. officially opened a retail store in the Mall of America in Bloomington, MN. The 2,600 square-foot space is Wilson’s first brick-and-mortar store in the region.
Second Chance Opens European Office and Warehouse
Second Chance Ltd, a sporting goods distributor specialising in golf, cycling, football, fishing and connected sports technology based in Frankfurt, Germany, announced the opening of a new trading business, and limited GmbH company, SC Distribution Europe.
Rally House Adds Stores in Detroit and Kansas City
Rally House announced it opened new stores in northern Detroit and Kansas City. Rally House operates over 180 stores across 18 states in the U.S.
United Sports Brands Acquired by Norwest Equity Partners
Norwest Equity Partners (NEP) has acquired United Sports Brands, the parent of Shock Doctor, McDavid, Cutters, Nathan, Pearl Izumi, and Glukos, from Bregal Partners. NEP’s history with USB brands dates to 2008, when it acquired Shock Doctor as part of its consumer products portfolio.
Report: Black Friday Traffic Sees Uptick
Sensormatic Solutions released its initial shopper visit data for U.S. brick-and-mortar stores and shopping centers for Black Friday, November 24, noting that foot traffic increased 4.6 percent compared to 2022.
Report: U.S. Black Friday Retail Sales Up Modestly
According to Mastercard SpendingPulse, retail sales grew 2.5 percent year-over-year on Black Friday, slowing as expected from a gain of 12 percent on the same day a year ago.
Report: Black Friday Sees Record Online Spending
According to Adobe Analytics, a record $9.8 billion was spent online in the U.S. for Black Friday, up 7.5 percent year-over-year (YoY). Adobe had estimated this year’s Black Friday sales at $9.6 billion.
NGF Sets Leadership Transition
The National Golf Foundation appointed Greg Nathan as CEO. Joe Beditz, the current CEO, will transition to executive chairman. The NGF Board approved the changes to take effect on January 1, 2024. Nathan assumed the role of president earlier this year,
Puma Appoints GM for Puma Japan
Puma hired Ryokusai Inoue as general manager of Puma Japan, effective immediately. He replaces Kohei Hagio, who has held the position since 2021.
