SGB Update Sports & Fitness
Report: Footwear and Apparel Among Bright Spots for Weaker Store Traffic
“Categories like Apparel, Footwear, and Jewelry saw notable traffic increases on the Saturday following Black Friday, indicating that consumers are spreading out their purchases, revealing a shift in shopping behavior, with extended promotions allowing for more flexibility and reducing reliance on Black Friday.
NRF Reports Thanksgiving Weekend Shopper Numbers Fell Short of 2023 Comp Period
The five-day holiday weekend from Thanksgiving Day through Cyber Monday saw an estimated 197.0 million shoppers, reportedly the second highest number in the NRF’s survey’s history after last year’s record of 200.4 million shoppers—exceeding its initial forecast of 183.4 million.
Academy Sports + Outdoors Opens Five New Stores to Finish Out 2024
New stores opened in Bradenton, FL; Yulee, FL; Searcy, AR; Meridian, MS; and Corsicana, TX. Overall, Academy continued its expansion in 2024 by opening 16 new stores during the year across ten states, including its first locations in Ohio.
Purpose Brands Appoints CEO
Tom Leverton most recently served as an operating partner at Pritzker Private Capital, co-leading the firm’s services sector activities. Prior to that, he was the CEO of CEC Entertainment, the parent company of Chuck E. Cheese, Topgolf, and Omniflight, and chief development officer at FedEx Office.
Mastercard SpendingPulse: Black Friday Sales Grow 3.4 Percent; E-Commerce Up 15 Percent
The firm reported that their data indicated online retail (e-commerce) sales increased 14.6 percent, while In-store (brick & mortar) sales were up a more modest 0.7 percent, compared to Black Friday last year.
Crunch Franchise to Open Fourth Crunch Fitness in San Antonio
The facility will be the fourth Crunch Fitness to open in San Antonio operated by Crunch Fitness franchisee The Undefeated Tribe.
Collegiate Licensing Pioneer Bill Battle Passes
Battle helped the University of Alabama create a licensing department, which led to his founding of the Collegiate Licensing Company (CLC) and what became a multi-billion dollar industry for collegiate licensing.
Stretch Zone Opens in Trophy Club, Texas
U.S.-based assisted stretching brand, announced the opening of its newest location in Trophy Club, TX, owned and operated by franchisee Danny Leverett, a multi-unit Stretch Zone owner.
Report: Black Friday In-Store Shopper Traffic Falls 8.2 Percent Year-over-Year
The brand’s ShopperTrak Analytics insights show that U.S. shopper visits were down 3.9 percent from November 24 through November 29, in line with the in-store traffic trends seen year-to-date (down 3.0 percent year-over-year).
Avenue Sports Fund and Playmaker Fund Partner to Source and Fund Sports Opportunities
The Fund’s athlete team includes Stephen Curry, Lauren Holiday, Harry Kane, Candace Parker, Michael Strahan and Lindsey Vonn.
Rally House Opens New Storefront in Minneapolis
Rally House Maple Grove Crossing opened on November 27. The retailer entered the Minnesota market this year with its first store in Tamarack Village in Woodbury. Today, it operates five stores in the state.
Sprung Gym Flooring Opens Ireland Headquarters
The provider of gym flooring solutions said the office, located in Sandyford, Dublin, will serve as the company’s headquarters in Ireland, to support demand for its gym flooring product line across commercial and residential sectors.
Topgolf Breaks Ground on New Ohio Location
Topgolf has broken ground on a two-level venue located in Avon, OH, approximately 20 miles west of downtown Cleveland. This will be the fifth Topgolf venue in Ohio.
Boston Pickle Club to Open Second Facility in Norwell
The indoor pickleball facility will open in December in Norwell for the South Shore community. This is the company’s second indoor club. The first location is in Boston’s Hyde Park.
Burlington Stores, Inc. Appoints Former Staples CEO to Board
Shira Goodman, former CEO of Staples, Inc., will join Burlington Stores Board of Directors and Audit Committee effective January 1, 2025.
