SGB Update Sports & Fitness
Life Time Annapolis Doubles Footprint as Pickleball Demand Expands
The expanded footprint of Life Time Annapolis, announced in May 2024, now covers nearly 90,000 square feet which includes 11 permanent pickleball courts, courtside social lounges, small group training, cardio and strength training equipment.
Club Pilates Signs Master Franchise Agreement for Mexico
Club Pilates, owned by Xponential Fitness, will be expanding into Mexico through a Master Franchise Agreement with Riser Fitness, a U.S.-based Club Pilates Franchise Group.
Report: Team Sports Participation Highest in Ten Years
SFIA)released its 2024 U.S. Trends in Team Sports Report breaks down data for 24 team sports by youth and young adult team participation and includes information on coaches, training and trends to watch for in 2024.
Authentic Brands Group and Saks Launch New Luxury Platform
Through its focus on innovation and global expansion, ALG aims to generate growth opportunities and create value for its strategic licensing and distribution partners, each of which bring distinctive positioning, loyal followings and significant global potential.
Costco Comps Grow 8.9 Percent in September Ex-Fuel
Costco Wholesale Corporation reported net sales of $24.62 billion for the five weeks ended October 6, an increase of 9.0 percent from $22.59 billion last year.
Nordstrom to Open Rack Store North of Dallas
The 26,000-square-foot store will be located at The Gates of Prosper, a shopping center that includes Target, Sephora, and HomeGoods, owned and operated by Blue Start Land.
Import Volume Remains Strong Despite Recent Dockworker Strike
The NRF and Hackett Associates, in its recent Global Tracker Report, expect continued elevated shipment levels through October at the nations major container ports despite the recent strike by dockworkers.
Bain Forecasts Record Black Friday/Cyber Monday Sales
U.S. retail sales over Black Friday – Cyber Monday (BFCM) weekend may set a new record, surpassing $75 billion in sales, according to a forecast from Bain & Company. The weekend is expected to deliver year-over-year growth of around 5 percent, outpacing Bain’s overall holiday sales growth forecast of 3 percent for the entire holiday season.
Sqairz Secures Strategic Investment to Expand Across Sports
Golf footwear upstart Sqairz announced a “significant” strategic investment from Thirty-5 Capital. The funding will be used to help Sqairz expand across multiple sports, including baseball and pickleball.
Accell Group Undergoes Debt Restructuring
Backed by Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co (KKR), Accell Group agreed to a restructuring that writes off 40 percent of its debt and will see its liabilities at the operating group level cut to €800 million ($881 million) from €1.4 billion, with maturities extended through to 2030.
Association of Golf Merchandisers Adds Vendor Advisory Board Member
Susan Shade is an industry veteran with over 30 years of professional management experience in apparel, golf, fitness, and e-commerce. At Tharanco Lifestyles, Shade oversees the golf division, which includes distributing the Greg Norman Collection to over 50 countries.
Malbon Golf Hires Ex-Nike Exec as CEO
Heiser worked for Nike for over 17 years before leaving the company in September 2023. As CEO of Malbon Golf, Heiser will work closely with Founders Stephen and Erica Malbon, who will continue as co-chief creative officers and board members.
Crunch Fitness Updates and Adds to Its Florida Franchisee Operation
The CR Fitness team updating two Fort Myers locations and opening an Apollo Beach gym in Florida currently operates 69 Crunch Fitness locations in Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, Texas and Tennessee, with plans to open 6 more locations in 2024.
NuOrder by Lightspeed Appoints New Head of Revenue
Chris Akrimi, most recently, was the CEO of The Layer, a tech company that “transforms commerce data through AI. ” There, he focused on positioning the company at the “forefront of AI-driven product data management.”
Adidas’ UK Sales Fall 9 Percent in 2023
Companywide, Adidas’ sales in 2023 declined 5 percent to €21.4 billion in Euro terms with flat currency-neutral revenues. The discontinuation of the Yeezy business represented a drag of around €500 million on the year-over-year comparison during 2023.
