SGB Update Sports & Fitness
CivicScience: Nike And Target Top Athleisure Preference Of Gen-Z
Recent polling data from CivicScience found that the Gen-Z generation turned to Nike as its brand of choice for athleisure, followed by (in order) Target, Adidas, Old Navy, and Lululemon.
JD Sports Appoints General Counsel
JD Sports Fashion Plc, parent company for Finish Line, Shoe Palace and DTLR retail brands in the U.S., hired Theresa Casey as general counsel and company secretary of JD, effective immediately.
NRF Report: Organized Retail Crime A Growing Threat For U.S. Retailers
Organized retail crime is a perpetual and burgeoning problem for the U.S. retail industry, and evidence suggests it is growing in scope and complexity, according to a recently released report from the National Retail Federation (NRF).
Fitstop To Expand Into U.S. Market; Hires NA Athletic Director
Fitstop, the Australia-based fitness chain, will open a flagship location in Santa Monica, CA in May. The company hired Peter Pisani as North America Athletic Director.
Walmart Closes Four Stores In Chicago
Walmart reported it will close four of its eight stores in Chicago after stating the stores were losing “tens of millions of dollars a year, and the retailer’s annual losses nearly doubled in just the last five years.”
Dick’s SG Signs Multi-Year Partnership With Boston Athletic Association
Dick’s Sporting Goods reported signing a multi-year agreement to be the official retail sponsor of the Boston Marathon and the Boston Athletic Association (B.A.A.) Distance Medley events ahead of opening a Dick’s House of Sport in spring 2024.
Dillard’s Debt Ratings Upgraded
S&P Global Ratings raised the debt ratings on Dillard’s Inc. as the department store chain has maintained a “stable performance and a conservative financial policy even in the volatile retail operating environment of the past year.”
Topo Athletic Appoints U.S. Wholesale Sales Director
Topo Athletic hired Ashleigh Cook as sales director of U.S. Wholesale, leading its domestic sales team to grow its network of retailer accounts and independent sales agents.
Self Esteem Brands Expands In Europe, Adds Anytime Fitness Master Franchisee
Self Esteem Brands, the parent company of a global portfolio of fitness, health and wellness franchise brands, reported that Manfred Mitterlehner, the fitness and personal training operator of Austria-based Mitterlehner Fitness, joined Anytime Fitness as a master franchisee.
Yue Yuen Manufacturing Business Falls 21.3 Percent In March
Yue Yuen Industrial (Holdings) Limited, the subsidiary of Pou Chen Corporation that manufactures a large percentage of global athletic and outdoor footwear, reported that its net consolidated operating revenue for March was $696.5 million, a 10.0 percent decline versus the year-ago month.
Anta Sports Saw Solid Q1 China Retail Sales Growth With Fila Up In High Singles
Anta Sports Products Limited reported that retail sales of Anta-branded products posted mid-single-digit growth in the first quarter compared to the year-ago comparable period.
Pou Sheng Retail Sales Surge 29.8 Percent In March
Pou Sheng International (Holdings) Limited, the China-based retail subsidiary of Yue Yuen Industrial (Holdings) Limited, reported that net consolidated operating revenue for March was RMB 1.73 billion, up 29.8 percent from RMB 1.34 billion in the year-ago comparable month.
Fanatics Expands Retail Partnership With The Cleveland Browns
Fanatics expanded its e-commerce partnership with The Cleveland Browns, establishing the company as the team’s end-to-end omnichannel retail partner.
Puttshack Opens Location In Houston
Puttshack opened its sixth location at The Highlight at Houston Center at 1200 McKinney Street. The new 26,000-square-foot space includes four nine-hole mini golf courses, dining and private event space.
Teamworks Closes $65 Million Series E Funding, Acquires Arms Software
Teamworks announced a Series E funding led by Dragoneer Investment Group, a San Francisco-based investment firm. The athlete engagement platform also announced the acquisition of Arms Software.
