SGB Update Sports & Fitness
Skechers Opens Distribution Facility In India
Skechers opened a 600,000-square-foot distribution center in Mumbai, India, to support the company’s expansion into the country. The building in the Lodha Industrial and Logistics Park in Kalyan is designed to streamline supply chain operations and can ship up to 60,000 SKUs daily.
Fairmonde Golf Secures Investment LPGA Tour Pro
Fairmont Golf, based in Sheridan, WY, reported that Angel Yin, the American professional golfer playing on the LPGA Tour, had invested and is a shareholder in its women’s apparel golf brand.
USA Pickleball Appoints VP of Competition
USA Pickleball, the national governing body for the sport in the U.S., named Steve Wong as vice president of competition. Wong will oversee USA Pickleball’s competition department, emphasizing growing and streamlining all sanctioned tournament play.
Bulls Bikes USA Hires Sales Chief
Los Angeles-based Bulls Bikes USA hired Rob Kaplan as head of sales. Most recently, Kaplan was VP of sales at Alta Cycling Group.
Xponential Fitness Secures Franchise Agreements in Japan
Xponential Fitness, Inc. signed a master franchise agreement in Japan for its Pure Barre and YogaSix studios with Sunpark Co., Ltd., its master franchisee for StretchLab.
Golf Rounds Played Jump In November
Golf Datatech reported that U.S. golf rounds played rose 8.2 percent year-over-year in November, rebounding from a slight decline in October.
Sacks Parente Golf CEO Resigns
CEO Tim Triplett has resigned from the company, effective immediately, due to family reasons. Board Chair Greg Campbell will assume responsibilities as executive chairman to facilitate a smooth transition while the company searches for a new CEO.
Survey: Wearable Technology Again Tops Fitness Trend for 2024
The American College of Sports Medicine’s (ACSM) annual survey found wearable technology ranked as the number one fitness trend for the third straight year. The Top 3 trends also included workplace health promotion and fitness programs for older adults.
Goldfish Swim School Expanding in California
The company, based in Michigan, signed multi-unit swim school agreements with two franchise groups to develop six Goldfish Swim Schools in California over the next several years.
Life Time Reaffirms Guidance; Names Interim CFO as Houghton Departs
The company expects to be free cash flow positive after all capital expenditures, including new club growth, by the middle of 2024. SVP and Controller Erik Weaver, a 19-year company veteran, will assume the role of interim CFO with the departure of CFO Bob Houghton.
Crunch Fitness Opening First Club in Nebraska
The new gym, located in a former Gordmans space in Lincoln, NE, has 55,000 square feet and $1 million worth of fitness equipment. The gym is set to open on January 5.
Report: Merchandise Returns Reach 14.5 Percent in 2023
According to the report released by the National Retail Federation and Appriss Retail, for every $1 billion in sales, the average retailer reportedly incurs $145 million in merchandise returns. Online sales do see a higher return rate, at 17.6 percent.
Report: U.S. Holiday Season Retail Sales at Low End of Forecast
U.S. retail sales, excluding automotive, increased 3.1 percent year-over-year this holiday season, according to a report from Mastercard SpendingPulse measuring the period from November 1 through December 24.
Happy Holidays From SGB Media
In observance of the Christmas holiday, SGB Media is taking time to be with family and will not publish the SGB Updates on December 25. Publishing will resume on December 26 with one Update newsletter daily through December 29.
Nike to Undergo Layoffs, Cost-Cutting Amid Weakening Sales Outlook
Nike, Inc. reported earnings in its fiscal second quarter ended November 30 topped analyst expectations but also announced a program to cut costs by about $2 billion over the next three years, including through layoffs, as it sees a “softer” sales outlook for its fiscal second half.
