All Coronavirus articles – Page 4
-
News briefs
French and Italian ski resorts to remain closed
The French government is expected to announce tomorrow that cable cars and other ski facilities will not open until Feb. 1 at the earliest, or even throughout the month of February,because of the continued high level of coronavirus contaminations. They have been shut down for the general public since Dec. ...
-
Article
Germany gives more aid to retailers affected by the extended lockdown
As expected, the German government has agreed with the federal states on a further extension of a lockdown for retailers that sell non-essential products until Feb. 14. In response to requests made by fashion and sports retailers that are heavily dependent on the sale of winter products, especially seasonal clothing ...
-
News briefs
The UN should rule on the Tokyo Games, former IOC exec suggests
Kevan Gosper, a former International Olympic Committee (IOC) vice-president, has suggested that the United Nations (UN) might be involved in deciding whether or not the postponed Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games should ultimately take place. The ongoing coronavirus pandemic and its recent resurgence in many countries, Japan included, is ...
-
News briefs
Rossignol’s CEO speaks of an “industrial disaster” for France’s ski industry
In a recent interview with the French newspaper Ouest France, Rossignol’s chief executive, Bruno Cercley, warned about the dramatic situation that the French ski industry is facing because of the pandemic and related restrictions. Ski facilities are currently closed in France, whereas they are open in some other countries, including ...
-
News briefs
Record sales for Polygiene
In a business update, Polygiene said its sales for the fourth quarter soared by 41.4 percent to a record 26.9 million Swedish kronor (€2.7m-$3.2m) in the fourth quarter of 2020. The company added that Addmaster, its newly acquired British subsidiary, had even stronger growth. Sales to Polygiene excluded, Addmaster’s revenues ...
-
Article
Updated: Isn’t sports retailing an “essential” category?
The German government is widely expected to announce an extension of its lockdown for retailers of “non-essential” items as well as fitness studios and restaurants through Feb. 14, according to leading German media. The second German lockdown started on Dec. 16 and was supposed to end on Jan. 11, but ...
-
News briefs
Surf Expo was held physically in Florida
Not all the industry’s trade shows are being held virtually these days. Without giving any attendance figures yet, Emerald Holding has reported on a successful in-person edition of its Surf Expo show, held from Jan. 6-8 as planned in Orlando, Florida. A total of 321 exhibitors registered for the event. ...
-
News briefs
Prioritizing Covid-19 vaccine for athletes may ensure Tokyo Games take place
The Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games were postponed to July-August 2021, but the recent resurgence of Covid-19 cases, in Japan as elsewhere, is leaving uncertainty over the actual chances that the event will take place. According to Dick Pound, a senior member of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), prioritizing ...
-
News briefs
Survey finds that 80% of Japanese people want Tokyo 2020 postponed or cancelled
According to a telephone poll by Kyodo News, around 80 percent of Japanese people would like this year’s Olympic and Paralympic Games in Tokyo to be postponed or even cancelled. Japan is currently struggling with a resurgence of Covid-19 cases. The cities of Tokyo, Saitama, Kanagawa, and Chiba entered into ...
-
News briefs
Sports retailers scored better than other specialty retailers in France
Going through two Covid-related lockdowns, French specialty retailers saw their sales decline on average by 18 percent in 2020, although their online turnover jumped by 80 percent for the year, including a growth of 85 percent in December, according to their trade association, Procos. Shoe retailers suffered the biggest losses ...
-
News briefs
Polygiene's acquisition of Addmaster is approved
The shareholders of Polygiene, the Swedish supplier of anti-viral solutions, have accepted a proposal to issue new shares to help finance the acquisition of Addmaster Holdings, its very profitable U.K.-based supplier of anti-microbial additives for hard surfaces, for SEK 374 million (€36.7m-$44.7m) in cash and shares. Polygiene, whose sales of ...
-
Article
German winter sports retailers ask for special government aid
Rainer Angstl, the manager of Sport Schuster in Munich, and the managing directors of more than 170 other German sports retailers that depend heavily on the winter sports business have signed an open letter to the federal government, asking for subsidies based on the monthly gross profits that they are ...
-
News briefs
ISPO Beijng is postponed to an unspecified date
The ISPO Beijing show is being postponed to a yet unspecified date. It was going to take place in the Chinese capital from Jan. 14 to 16 as a physical event, but Messe München Shanghai said it would have been unreasonable to hold it in view of a renewed outbreak ...
-
News briefs
Spy+ takes the contactless try-on to a new level
Spy+ is using Google’s Image Swirl and QR-code scanning to enable customers to try on snow goggles without ever touching them. The American action sports eyewear company, which was recently acquired by Bollé Brands, says the combination “overcomes the largest barriers to retail sales in the current shopping environment”: namely, ...
-
News briefs
Golf facilities shut down in England during new lockdown
All indoor and outdoor golf clubs and facilities in England, including driving ranges, have been required to shut down with immediate effect during the third national lockdown, which the U.K. government has just imposed and reinforced in connection with the worsening of the coronavirus pandemic. Golf retailers will be able ...
-
Article
Sports & outdoor retail rose by 7.2% in the U.K. in 2020
Sports and outdoor retailers survived the Covid-19 pandemic in the U.K. last year. Spending on their products rose by 7.2 percent, according to Barclaycard, which noted in particular the boom in home fitness while gyms were closed. Home improvement items and furniture scored similar increases. In contrast, general clothing contracted ...
-
ArticleYear-end reflections on agility and responsibility
The coronavirus crisis has led all of us to the choice of sinking into depression or to grab the chance of becoming more agile and more responsible in reacting to the situations created by the virus and other events like Brexit. Fortunately, mankind’s innate resiliency has apparently led the majority ...
-
Article
Alpine ski resorts under siege
Austria’s ski resorts were reopened on Dec. 24 as planned, and videos showed that they welcomed plenty of local tourists, as hotels and restaurants have remained closed. A further restriction came from the government’s decision to ban non-essential retailing, including the sale of skis and other sports products, at physical ...
-
ArticleE-tailers and fewer ski resorts escape new anti-Covid measures
Frasers Group, the parent company of the Sports Direct chain, was the first major retailer in the U.K. to withdraw its guidance for its current financial year after the government, on Dec. 19, ordered the shutdown of all stores selling non-essential products in London and Eastern and Southeastern England. They ...
-
News briefs
Australian activewear firm sued over alleged anti-virus clothes
Lorna Jane, a manufacturer and retailer of women’s activewear with headquarters in Brisbane, is being taken to court by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) for allegedly making a false claim that a range of its activewear could provide protection against Covid-19. In July the company released its “anti-virus ...
