SGB Update Sports & Fitness

Amer Sports Divests Suunto To Liesheng

Amer Sports has reached an agreement to divest Suunto to Liesheng, a Chinese technology company focusing on the smart & sport wearables electronics segment.

Ice Shaker Partners With Oxygen Esports

Ice Shaker and Oxygen Esports announced a partnership where Ice Shaker becomes the official Performance Bottle and Shaker Partner of Oxygen Esports, the Boston Uprising and the newly announced Boston Call of Duty League franchise.

VF Corp. Appoints Global Brand President, The North Face

VF Corp. announced that it has appointed Nicole Otto as global brand president, The North Face. Otto joins VF following a 16-year career at Nike and will succeed Steve Murray who is retiring and returning to the UK. The leadership transition will be effective on June 2022.

Topspin Consumer Partners Invests In Mission

Topspin Consumer Partners, a  private equity firm focused on the consumer sector, announced that it has made a growth investment in Mission, which specializes in cooling solutions used in sports, outdoor and jobsite applications.

Dick’s SG Receives Baa3 Rating On New Debt Issue

Moody’s Investors Service assigned a Baa3 senior unsecured rating to Dick’s Sporting Goods, Inc. proposed $1 billion unsecured notes. The proceeds will be used to repay the company’s $575 million convertible debt, add cash to the balance sheet and for general corporate purposes.

Lululemon Lowers Q4 Outlook Due To Omicron

Lululemon Athletica, Inc. said it expects sales and earnings from the holiday quarter to come in near the low end of its previous forecasts amid renewed COVID-19 challenges.

SFIA Elects New Chairman

The Sports & Fitness Industry Association (SFIA) announced the election of Jonathan Ram, group president, Global Activewear, HanesBrands Inc., as chairman of the SFIA Board of Directors from 2022-2023.

Retail Import Growth Levels Out But Volume Remains High

After a year of unprecedented increases, imports at the nation’s major retail container ports are expected to return to normal growth rates in 2022 but volumes will remain high, according to the monthly Global Port Tracker report released by the National Retail Federation and Hackett Associates.