SGB Update Sports & Fitness
Dunham’s Sports to Open First Store in New Mexico
The Michigan-based sporting goods retailer, is expected to open the Santa Fe store at the end of 2025, in a 60,000-square-foot space once occupied by the bankrupt Conn’s HomePlus.
Kane Footwear Names Chief Marketing Officer
Mark Tarnuzzer will be key in shaping the designer and manufacturer of active recovery footwear’s strategy, marketing activations, partnerships, and optimizing e-commerce performance.
9Round Kickboxing Fitness Names President
Drew Stauffacher was promoted from VP of Operations to president. He has worked for the franchise brand for 13 years. Shannon Hudson, founder and CEO of Striking Brands, the parent company, will shift his focus to overseeing the management of the company’s brand portfolio.
Reebok Appoints New Head of Basketball
Reebok has named Jide Osifeso, founder of the contemporary menswear label Hymne, as its new head of basketball. Reebok re-entered the basketball category following its acquisition by Authentic Brands Group in 2022.
Five Iron Golf to Open Locations in New York and Connecticut
New franchise locations are underway in New York (Port Chester and Syracuse) and Norwalk, CT. The golf-entertainment venue operates 34 locations in 15 states and five countries, with a reported over 50 in development.
The Lycra Company Promotes Melissa Riggs to Chief Marketing Officer
Riggs brings over two decades of brand-building experience in consumer packaged goods and the apparel and footwear industries to her new role, including experience with the Gore-Tex brand.
Nike, Inc. Names Amy Montagne Nike Brand President as Heidi O’Neill Retires
Amy Montagne was named president, Nike Brand; Phil McCartney appointed EVP and chief innovation, design & product officer; Nicole Graham appointed EVP and CMO; and Tom Clarke named chief growth initiatives officer.
Pickleball Kingdom Franchise Opening in Manchester, CT
Spanning 30,681 square feet and featuring 10 professional-grade indoor courts, led by franchise group Pickleball X Equity, the member-based club will open in late 2025
OrderMyGear Promotes Drew Simon to VP of Engineering
In his new role, Simon will evolve the technical platform to support advanced functionality and to unify OMG’s solution portfolio. Simon will also oversee platform stability and ongoing improvements across OMG’s services.
Gold’s Gym Closes Last Two Locations in El Paso
Gold’s Gym’s El Paso Instagram account states, “Due to unforeseen circumstances, we have made the difficult decision to close our Gold’s Gym locations in El Paso.”
Amped Fitness To Enter Houston Market with Two New Clubs
Amped Fitness, the Florida-based HVLP chain, is making its debut this summer in Houston, TX, with the opening of two new clubs, Amped Fitness Willowbrook and Amped Fitness Gessner
Escalade’s Q1 Sales Slide 3 Percent
Escalade, Inc. reported improved earnings climbed 44.4 percent with a boost from improved gross margins. Sales were down 3.2 percent, although growth was achieved in archery, outdoor games, darting, and safety categories.
SGB Media Relaunches SGB Sports & Fitness Update Newsletter
The publishing company, which has focused on the active lifestyle market since 2003, is now delivering a weekly SGB Sports & Fitness Update email newsletter each Friday afternoon, except for holidays, to provide a focused view and weekly wrap of the top stories of the week for sports and fitness industry professionals heading into the weekend.
Report: Performance FW Outperforms Total FW Market in Q1; Running Grows 7 Percent
The retail tracking and market advisory firm reported that Sport Lifestyle, or athleisure sneakers, once again was the largest footwear segment, growing almost 1 percent for the quarter. Performance Footwear grew 4 percent during the period, led by Running.
Puma Plans to Move London HQ to Manchester
The 20,000-square-foot space will house Puma sales, marketing, merchandising, finance, operations and direct-to-consumer departments.
