CORPORATE AND M&A
+++ Safilo Group has completed its $24.6 million acquisition of eyewear brands SPY+ and Serengeti from Bollé Brands, adding two labels with combined 2025 sales of approximately $39 million to strengthen its sport and premium eyewear portfolio
+++ Klarna has launched its first German forward flow and warehouse financing facility, a €900 million agreement expected to support up to €5 billion in consumer financing originations over the next two years while improving capital efficiency +++
PRODUCT & MARKETING
+++ Muc-Off has announced its official partnership with the 2026 UCI MTB World Championships in Val di Sole, Italy, marking the brand’s first-ever partnership with a UCI World Championships event
+++ A family startup founded by Colorado’s Fort Lewis College student Ashton Black has developed the Pow Paddle, a patented carbon-fiber propulsion pole for snowboarders designed to improve mobility on flat terrain, with a commercial launch planned for the 2026–27 winter season
+++ Italian premium cycling footwear brand Nimbl and Nike have launched the limited-edition Étoile Collection, featuring handcrafted cycling shoes and apparel celebrating Jonas Vingegaard’s three consecutive Tour de France victories
+++ Yeti has been designated as an official supplier of the Australian Commonwealth Games Team for the 2026 Commonwealth Games, which will take place in Glasgow from July 23 to Aug. 2, with a focus on integrating high-performance hydration and cooling solutions into the team’s operational setup
+++ Vibram is opening in Possagno, in the province of Treviso, the Vibram Park Monte Grappa, a new space dedicated to sports, product testing and community in the heart of Italy’s Sportsystem district
+++ Royal Robbins has received the 2026 Red Dot Award for Product Design for its Expedition III Shirt, which combines the brand’s chemical-free Mosquito Protection Technology with lightweight, recycled performance fabric for outdoor use
+++ Solo Stove has launched Project S’More Outdoors with Boys & Girls Club of Lancaster, funding campfire experience kits and outdoor activities to encourage children and families to spend more time together outdoors
+++ Rab athlete Elisa Deutschmann became the first woman to complete the X-Pyr hike-and-fly race across the Pyrenees, finishing the 600-kilometer event in 103 hours, 25 minutes and 30 seconds +++
RETAIL & DISTRIBUTION
+++ Nike All Conditions Gear (ACG) Kids will be exclusively distributed in Italy by Verona-based group 3A beginning in the autumn/winter 2026 season
+++ The Go Outdoors store at the Sheepen Road Retail Park in Colchester, England, is scheduled for closure and has launched a “closing down” sale +++
EXECUTIVE CHANGES
+++ British Cycling has appointed board member and former Adidas sports marketing executive Lee Gibbons as interim CEO from July 13, replacing Jon Dutton until a permanent chief executive is appointed
+++ Adidas has appointed longtime executive Claus-Peter Mayer as General Manager for Central Europe from Sept. 1, succeeding Marina Moguš, while Olivier Gianina will take over Southern Europe +++
OBITUARY
+++ Canadian ski legend and businessman Dave L. Jacobs, the founder of snowsports apparel brand Spyder in 1978, has passed away at age 92 +++
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