Faced with global retail market-by-market fluidity due to impacts from the COVID-19 pandemic, Skechers has sharpened its focus on three new initiatives: An online shopping platform, an improved mobile application and a customer loyalty program.Plans for the trio of improvements were...

Acting on a “Consumer Direct Acceleration” announcement it made last month, Nike last week reorganized its senior executive suite under President and CEO John Donahoe and disclosed an unspecified number of job cuts that will result in one-time employee termination costs of...

The Cat continues to see the remainder of this year as “difficult,” so it’s continuing to focus its efforts on survival, recovery and emergence to another growth trajectory. The company, investing in full new product ranges for 2021, says the “Rider” style reintroduced in late 2019 was...

July 4 didn’t bring the usual array of community events and fireworks extravaganzas to the U.S. this year, but even as COVID concerns played out across the country, the active lifestyle industry saw some bright spots.

Fluid U.S. back-to-school plans, many of which will include at least partial remote learning due to impacts from COVID-19, are expected to have a negative impact on seasonal apparel and accessory purchases despite a forecast that overall spending could reach record levels.

Publicly traded, athletic-inspired fashion retailer Hibbett’s is projecting more than a 70 percent increase in second-quarter comparable store sales for the period ending Aug. 1, fueled by brick-and-mortar growth pegged at 60 percent and digital sales expansion of approximately 200 percent.

Joe Dudy, a 25-year veteran of Chicago-based sports equipment brand Wilson Sporting Goods, has been promoted to president. He was named acting leader of the Wilson brand in October 2019 following the departure of Michael Dowse. Dudy began his Wilson career as VP of finance in 2005.

New York brand management company Iconix Brand Group, which already has a definitive agreement in place to sell rights to the Umbro and Starter brands in China, is expected to consider a broad range of strategic alternatives, including...

Senior executives at Macy’s, which reported a 45 percent drop in first-quarter revenues last week to $3 billion, told analysts that it’s taking a conservative approach to the back half of 2020 due to the “high degree of uncertainty” in the market.

Publicly traded U.K.-based retailer JD Group, which acquired The Finish Line in June 2018 for $558 million, expects the Times Square location for its JD banner to significantly enhance its presence and standing with brand partners and U.S. consumers.

Aiming to further accelerate its digital strategy and push the segment to 50 percent of its overall topline by FY23, Nike is pushing forward with a plan to open 150 to 200 small-footprint, digitally-enabled mono brand stores in North America and the EMEA focused on women’s and apparel.

After four consecutive years of decline, U.S. soccer participation rose 4.5 percent in 2019. Last year also marked the first time since 2010 that “core” soccer participation — those playing the sport 26 or more times annually — increased, rising 1.5 percent to 5.3 million.

The sporting goods industry lost two European titans last week.Rossignol Group president and leader Lauren Boix-Vives, who acquired the French brand’s ski factory in 1956 at the age of 29 and spearheaded the organization until 2005, died June 18. He was 93.

Key industry improvements in the areas of supply chain, e-commerce sales and anticipation for the return of health clubs and organized youth sports were evident in the 22-page COVID-19 Impact Report: May Edition from the Sports & Fitness Industry Association.

DSW, the banner owned by publicly traded Designer Brands, essentially became a dotcom-only retailer on March 18 due to COVID-19. But the firm expects to have all of its 1,000+ North American locations open by June 30, and as of last week, 90 percent of doors were open for business.

Pent-up demand from two months of shutdowns prompted by the COVID-19 pandemic spurred a 17.7 percent seasonally adjusted increase in retail sales from April, when they were off 14.7 percent from March. But overall May sales were down 6.1 percent year-over-year, with some categories...

High-end men’s dress shoe brand Alden Shoes has filed a civil suit against its former chief financial officer and director Richard Hajjar. The Middleboro, MA-based firm, which has operated in the town since 1848, alleges Hajjar embezzled $27 million from the family-owned business over...

Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey may have faded into the annals of U.S. history, but there will be plenty of balancing acts to watch this upcoming Back-to-School season as retailers try to figure out a strategy for a B-T-S the likes of which we’ve never experienced before.

As the calendar turned to May and more of their stores were able to re-open, chain retailers Zumiez and Tilly’s realized improved sales. But the recession, expected promotional environment and upcoming Back-to-School/Holiday 2020 seasons mean additional challenges lie ahead for each banner.

Famous Footwear parent Caleres says a curbside pick-up option will be available at approximately 500 Famous Footwear stores by June 30, up from 300 at the end of the first quarter. Meanwhile, after analyzing the performance of every store within its portfolio, Caleres will now...

As of yesterday, more than 900 Journeys stores had reopened across the U.S. While traffic hasbeen down double-digits versus the year-ago period, parent Genesco says the business has been able to offset the traffic headwind through...

Bornie Del Priore, who continues as global brand president of the Wolverine Kids Group, is named global brand president of Keds. In her dual role, she will report to Joelle Grunberg, who is global brand president of Sperry.

Starting this month and running through August, the Running Industry Association’s KICK On-Demand virtual trade show will be available for free to brand and retail members of the non-profit organization. RIA KICK On-Demand will feature video product presentations from...

Seattle-based Brooks Running has pledged $100,000 to the Equal Justice Initiative for Global Running Day on June 3, and has pledged to donate an additional $1 for every runner who has already signed up to run or walk and for every runner who signs up through June 7, up to $250,000.

Senior management at Dick’s Sporting Goods isn't committing to a $2 billion annual footwear sales possibility when asked, but the retailer confirmed momentum in the segment bolstered by growing consumer interest in both running and walking amid the COVID-19 pandemic.