Latest News & Analysis – Page 254
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Sales of outdoor shoes fell by 2.4% in 2012
Unseasonable weather conditions and the poor economy in Europe last year led to a drop of 2.4 percent to $3.9 billion in terms of dollars in the global market for brand outdoor footwear at the wholesale level. As the dollar appreciated on average by 8.2 percent against the euro, sales ...
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Strong growth and new managers for Inov-8
With sales expected to rise to the equivalent of more than $30 million this year, up from $20 million in 2012, Inov-8 has become one of the fastest-growing outdoor brands. Much of the growth is due to its concentration on sports activities that are gaining ground strongly, such as trail ...
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New managers and new distribution strategies at Viking
After a jump of 20 percent in 2011 to 380 million Norwegian kroner (€47.5m-$62.7m), Viking Fottøy's sales took a sharp 16 percent nosedive last year, largely due to the effect of poor weather conditions in the Nordic countries and to the bankruptcies of some major shoe retailers such as Brandos, ...
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Vasque upgrades
Vasque, the outdoor footwear brand of Red Wing Shoes, is again on an upward course as some major strategic changes are beginning to bear fruits under its new management. The brand's sales have been nearly flat or declining in the past few years, but George Curleigh, who became Vasque's chief ...
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Kodiak expands in Europe
This big Canadian producer of waterproof boots has been expanding its presence on the European market since it first exhibited at the Ispo show in Munich at the beginning of last year. Jean-Marc Groell, a former executive of Columbia Sportswear who has been taking care of Kodiak's business in Europe, ...
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High Sierra veterans invest in Granite Gear
Three former managers of High Sierra have acquired a majority stake in Granite Gear, an American producer of more technical backpacks and other outdoor equipment for an undisclosed amount. They left High Sierra after that company was taken over last year by Samsonite for $108 million. Reporteldy, they have formed ...
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ATK buys Bushnell
Confirming an earlier report about its interest in the company, Alliant Techsystems (ATK), an American conglomerate that is thought to be the world's largest producer of ammunition for various types of weapons, has signed a definitive agreement to acquire Bushnell Group Holdings, the American supplier of performance eyewear, which has been ...
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Jack Wolfskin publishes the list of its suppliers
The German outdoor clothing brand has posted online a list of all its direct suppliers and manufacturers, in what the company has called its “transparency offensive.” The purpose of the rather unique operation is to make available to the general public the outline of all the stages of production, so ...
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New president for Outdoor Research
Outdoor Research has appointed Ken Meidell to the position of president and chief operating officer of the fast-growing American company. Meidell, who is 46 years old and has spent 12 years at Cascade Designs, will oversee sales, product development, marketing and finance.Meidell has been acting most recently as vice president ...
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Fenix is stable despite a tight Swedish market
Supply issues for Hanwag footwear and weak sales for Brunton reduced sales of the Fenix Outdoor Group's brands in the second quarter ended June 30, leading to a sales decline of about 1 percent to 360.5 million Swedish kronor (€41.2m-$54.5m) for the entire group during the period.Buoyant sales of the Fjällräven ...
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Red Fox expands beyond Russia
The Red Fox group, which describes itself as the major Russian-based producer and distributor of outdoor products, is moving abroad with its rapidly expanding chain of Red Fox stores. At the end of October, it plans to inaugurate a 320-square-meter store in Kathmandu, right outside the entrance of the former ...
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Regatta in Russia
The Regatta Group has hired Igor Fomin, former general manager for Asics Russia, to become managing director of the British outdoor company's new subsidiary in that country. Regatta already has customers in Russia but company officals felt that the group should invest in the market to support these retailers more ...
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Peak Performance improves margins on lower sales
Peak Performance, the Swedish ski, outdoor and golf apparel brand, saw its sales decline by about 5 percent to the equivalent of 931 million Danish kroner (€124.8m-$164.9m) for the fiscal year until the end of June, but its operating profit rose sharply on the back of improved purchasing and sourcing.IC Companys, ...
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B. Robinson licenses Revo from its new owners
B. Robinson is more or less doubling in size by taking on the global license for Revo sunglasses and related products. The deal follows the acquisition of the Revo brand from Oakley and its parent company, Luxottica, by an American firm, Sequential Brands Group, that specializes in marketing and licensing ...
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Zeal Optics releases the world’s greenest sunglasses
Zeal Optics, an American company recently acquired by Maui Jim Sunglasses that is known for its environmental-friendly sunglasses, has announced the release of the world's first biodegradable sunglasses. Called Ace, the range has been developed over the past two years in collaboration with Mazzucchelli, a leading Italian supplier of ...
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A good Outdoor Retailer Summer Market
The Outdoor Retailer trade show in Salt Lake City ended on a positive note, according to the organizers and many key exhibitors whom we met there. There was a general sentiment that the outdoor market is growing or stabilizing, thanks to innovative products and more active lifestyles. Procurement costs have ...
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Stormberg is accused of shady franchising policies
Since the start of 2013, five Stormberg franchises in Norway have closed their doors or declared bankruptcy. According to an article published by Dagens Næringsliv (DN), the leading Norwegian financial newspaper, at least one of the franchisees is accusing the Norwegian outdoor apparel company of a deliberate strategy to use ...
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Compass Diversified hunts for new acquisitions
The successful listing of Fox Factory on the Nasdaq stock exchange at the end of last week is encouraging the management of its 7-year-old parent company, Compass Diversified Holdings Inc. (CODI), to look for other acquisition opportunities. Compass bought a large majority stake in Camelbak Products two years ago for ...
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Black Diamond has lower margins on higher sales
Echoeing an observation made a few weeks ago by Blake Krueger, chief executive of Wolverine Worldwide, in commenting on its latest financial results, Peter Metcalf, president and chief executive of Black Diamond Inc. said that retailers are ordering conservatively, pushing more of the inventory risk over to the manufacturers and ...
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Mammut grows by 7.7%
Revenues increased by 9.2 percent to 100.3 million Swiss francs (€80.7m- $107.0m) in the first half ended June 30 for the Sporting Goods business unit of the Swiss Conzzeta Group, consisting essentially of the Mammut Sports Group. The growth rate amounted to 7.7 percent on a currency-neutral basis and without ...
