by The Editors on December 10, 2008
The U.K.’s largest outdoor gear retailer Blacks Leisure Group Plc, has agreed to give the U.K. distribution of O’Neill products back to O’Neill Europe according to a story on Bloomberg.com.
O’Neill Europe will take over the British wholesale business by the end of May, Northampton, England-based Blacks said today in a statement. The entire current sales force will transfer as well, it shows. . . . The retailer runs 57 Freespirit and O’Neill board-sports shops as well as 260 Millets stores and 110 outlets carrying its own name. Blacks aims to remain a “key retail partner” for O’Neill after the wholesale transfer, the statement shows.
[Link: Bloomberg]
by The Editors on December 10, 2008
Tom Kennedy, the guy responsible for PacSun’s merchandising, design, and marketing has apparently left the company to “pursue other interests,” according to a story on Women’s Wear Daily.
His duties will be reassigned to other members of the management team. . . . In a statement, Pacific Sunwear’s chairman and chief executive Sally Frame Kasaks, said: “We very much appreciate Tom’s contributions to the business during his tenure, and wish him the best in his future endeavors.”
According to sources at the company this departure will have absolutely no effect on PacSun’s core marketing efforts.
[Link: WWD Business]
by The Editors on December 8, 2008
How core is this? While Quiksilver and a other action brands are slashing prices in their stores, the “evil empire” of A&F has decided they’re not going to discount anything, according to a story in The Wall Street Journal. Why? “To protect its margins and hip reputation.” Wall Street, however, is worried.
“We hear your concerns,” said Chairman and Chief Executive Michael Jeffries in an earnings call with analysts last month, but “promotions are a short-term solution with dreadful long-term effects.” Marking down clothes now could lead to the brand being seen as something cheap, he explained.
Wise words from a fashion retail mastermind.
[Link: The Wall Street Journal]
by The Editors on December 5, 2008
Not getting enough of action sports super-agent Steve Astephen darting here and there in front of the TV cameras with a cellphone to his ear? Well then, Entrepreneur.com has just want you’re looking for in the Entrepreneur Insider: Marketing That Takes Flight.
Steve Astephen’s legacy is everywhere. It’s in the oceans. It’s in the mountains. It’s on the street. But more than anywhere, it’s in the air, where his clients’ exploits inspire the next generation of action sports stars. Ten years ago, Astephen revolutionized the action sports industry when he recognized the marketability of its larger-than-life athletes and created an agency focused on turning them into brands. He has since partnered with Wasserman Media Group and become one of the biggest names in the game, but he still remembers when his biggest asset was the sort of infectious energy that comes only from someone eager to break the mold.
Not sure “revolutionized” is the right word, but he certainly brought a circus-tent load of commercialism. We just hope Steve’s “legacy” doesn’t run us over the next time we go outside; ’cause that thing is apparently everywhere.
[Link: Entrepreneur.com]
by The Editors on December 5, 2008
The Burton Corp. announced today that they are moving Forum, Foursquare, and Special Blend (aka The Program) to their Vermont HQ. It’s a move that had been rumored ever since the snowboard giant first purchased the SoCal-based brands back in the summer of 2004. Seems cold weather makes people work harder.
In tough times like these, we need to be very strategic and efficient so we can continue to invest in our core strengths like product development and marketing, and this move allows us to do just that,” says The Program General Manager Sam Paschel. “In Burlington, The Program will benefit from over 30 years of Burton’s product development, sales and operations expertise while enjoying easy access to Burton’s shared services. And it will be great to have the company close to the mountains where we can easily test product on snow.”
And the surf industry breathes a oh-so-tiny sigh of relief as the invasion slows.
For the entire press release follow the jump.
[click to continue…]
by The Editors on December 5, 2008
After Billabong CEO Derek O’Neill cut the companies outlook (blaming the U.S. retail economy) earlier this week the stock took a tanking, according to the Sydney Morning Herald.
Shares in Billabong have plummeted more than 21% since chief executive, Derek O’Neill, cut his profit outlook yesterday and said the worldwide retail gloom was the worst he had ever seen. . . .Stocks fell 18% to $8.20 yesterday, the largest decline since it listed eight years ago. Billabong’s share price was down more than 3% to $7.94 at 12.50pm today.
These kinds of stories really aren’t news any longer, but we’re going to keep posting them for historical purposes.
[Link: Sydney Morning Herald]
by The Editors on December 4, 2008
They weren’t as far down as Zumiez, but Pacific Sunwear’s same-stores sales slide 10 percent in November “citing sales decreases in all of its regions except the midwest:” the action sports fashion gold belt.
Total sales for the month fell 8 percent to $101 million from $110.2 million in November 2007. . . . For the first 11 months of the year, same-store sales fell 4 percent. Total sales fell 2.9 percent to $1 billion from $1.03 billion during the same period last year.
[Link: Portfolio]
by The Editors on December 4, 2008
After Adidas Group Chairman Herbert Hainer emailed his 31,000 employees to let them know that the footwear giant would be skipping their $6.5 million holiday party this year thanks to the “current climate” not offering an “occasion to party,” the heads at Etnies decided it was time to step in and help their downtrodden footwear brothren.
In a full page ad in Willamette Week, Etnies invited the employees of Adidas to a Christmas party at My Father’s Place Bar including “special appearances by Santa Claus and his lovely lady elves.”
It is in the holiday spirite that the skateboarders and employees of etnies Skate Shes extend a warm and sincere invitation to the skateboarders and employees of Adidas USA to joing us in a symbolic “laying down of arms” for one joyous night, that we may come togethe and reflect upon life’s gifts as we share good cheer, celebrate the season and kick the new year off on a solid foot.
Nice. But now the big question: will anyone show up? Free beer does tend to draw a crowd. Either way it made CNBC and that’s probably worth the cost of the ad. Click here for the video.
by The Editors on December 3, 2008
Billabong is letting investors know that for the second straight year their first-half earnings-per-share are going to fall according to a story on Bloomberg.com.
Slowing demand in the U.S. “has accelerated throughout November,” Gold Coast-based Billabong said in a statement today. The company cut its forecast for annual EPS growth between 6 percent and 10 percent in the year ending June, down from an October prediction for a rise of as much as 16 percent. . . . The reduced annual EPS forecast comes less than six weeks after Billabong raised earnings expectations citing a slump in the Australian dollar.
It appears the U.S. economy is causing more problems than a slumping Australian dollar can make up for.
[Link: Bloomberg.com]
by The Editors on December 3, 2008
The core mall retailer Zumiez came in a little ahead of the street on their November same-store sales numbers according to a story on Forbes.com.
Zumiez Inc. said on Wednesday same-store sales fell 15 percent in November, compared with an increase of more than 5 percent in the year-earlier period. . . . Analysts polled by Thomson Reuters expected sales to fall 15.3 percent.
Net sales, however, only fell 2 percent to $32.6 million and the stock was up on the day (not that the two things had much to do with each other).
[Link: Forbes]
