SGB Update Sports & Fitness
Dick’s Sporting Goods Appoints BJ’s Chairman to Board of Directors
New director Bob Eddy has served as president and CEO of BJ’s since April 2021. He was appointed chairman in June 2023 and has served on the company’s Board of Directors since 2021. Dick’s Sporting Goods Board expanded to 12 directors.
Asics Corp. Appoints New Chairman & CEO and New President & COO
The Asics Corporation Board of Directors appointed a new president and reappointed other current top executives to posts other than their current roles.
Westminster College Partners with Nike/BSN Sports
Westminster College, based in New Wilmington, PA, established a product supply agreement with Nike and BSN Sports.
Foot Locker’s Debt Ratings Lowered by S&P
S&P Global Ratings downgraded the debt ratings of Foot Locker, Inc. following the sneaker giant’s report of weaker-than-expected second-quarter earnings amid elevated promotional activity and weak consumer demand.
POC Appoints Cycling Industry Vet as New CEO
POC, based in Sweden, has appointed Derek Bouchard-Hall as CEO. Before joining the helmets, eyewear, protection, and apparel manufacturer, Bouchard-Hall was CEO of Assos, president and CEO of USA Cycling and the director of International at Wiggle.
Planet Fitness CEO Departs
Planet Fitness, Inc. said its Board of Directors transitioned to new leadership, resulting in Chris Rondeau’s departure as company CEO. Craig R. Benson, a Board member, was appointed interim CEO, effective immediately.
The James Brand Appoints Director of Marketing and Sales
Dustin Aron will manage strategy and implementation to increase consumer awareness and engagement, execute expanded wholesale & retail objectives with the global sales team, and support the overall growth strategy of the brand.
Life Time Opens 22 Pickleball Courts at Life Time Kingwood in Texas
Life Time currently operates nearly 600 permanent pickleball courts across its network of athletic country clubs in North America.
Report: August Mall Foot Traffic Decline Data May Have Some Positives
Placer.ai said in its August 2023 Mall Index report that while MoM visits fell for the month, other foot traffic metrics painted a rosier picture for the period when delving deeper into the location analytics.
AlixPartners: Holiday Retail May Be A Tale of Two Cities Again this Year
The consulting firm’s Holiday Outlook Survey of more than 1,000 American consumers found that 26 percent of consumers plan on spending less this holiday season with 38 percent of households with incomes under $45K planning to spend less.
August Retail Sales Growth Moderates; Sporting Goods Trends Down
August sales were up in five out of nine retail categories on a yearly basis, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Circana reported flat sales growth year-over-year for their categories while the NRF and USCB saw sales up 3.3 percent for the period.
Deloitte Forecasts Softer Holiday Sales, Double-Digit E-Commerce Growth
Holiday sales in the U.S. are estimated to grow 3.5 percent to 4.6 percent between November and January, slowing from the 7.6 percent increase seen in 2022, according to Deloitte’s annual holiday retail forecast. The moderation reflects less inflation but also weaker consumer spending.
Nordstrom, Inc. Promotes Three to Key Leadership Roles
The retailer promoted Jamie Nordstrom to chief merchandising officer, Fanya Chandler to president, Nordstrom Stores and Gemma Lionello to president, Nordstrom Rack.
Lululemon Athletica Appoints New Board Member
Shane Grant has been the group deputy CEO, CEO Americas, and EVP of dairy, plant-based and global sales at Danone, a global food and beverage company, since January 2023.
Major League Pickleball and PPA Tour to Merge
The operators of the two major pickleball leagues, Major League Pickleball and the PPA Tour agreed to merge. The companies will remain distinct, but the merger aims to eliminate scheduling conflicts and competition over players.
