Corporate:

+++ Following on its acquisition of Rhino-Rack, Clarus Corp. continues to diversify into vehicle accessories with the takeover of another Australian company, Maxtrax, which specializes in recovery tools for off-road vehicles (more in The Outdoor Industry Compass)

+++ The Tremblant Capital Group, an activist investor that holds a 5.1% stake in Skechers, went public with a call on the company’s board to end its dual-class share structure, to start an aggressive share buy-back program and to pay a dividend, returning some of its cash and cash-equivalent resources of $1.18 billion to shareholders

 

DTC:

+++ Adidas has completely renovated its 1,400-square-meter flagship store on Berlin’s Tauentzien

+++ Gymshark has confirmed a report in Drapers that it will open its first physical store next summer at a prime 18,000-square-foot location previously occupied by J. Crew on London’s Regent Street, providing an “unforgettable experience”

 

Retail:

+++ The Times reports that the Weston family has agreed to sell the iconic Selfridges department store in London and some or all related properties in the U.K., Ireland, the Netherlands and Canada for around £4 billion to the Thailand-based Central Group, which already owns Italy’s La Rinascente and Illum in Denmark, and controls the KaDeWe Group in Germany

+++ Unisport, the Danish team sports retailer, has opened its third physical store on 300 square meters in Stockholm (Sveavägen 2 at Sergels torg), after similar investments in Paris and Copenhagen, but it has been selling online in Sweden since 2012, and it is planning to open a similar physical store in Oslo

 

Product:

+++ Puma has released its first women’s basketball collection, comprising 25 pieces including off-court apparel and designed by June Ambrose, who has worked for such celebrities as Jay-Z and Missy Elliott

 

Marketing:

+++ Germany’s Joy Sportswear is launching an image campaign featuring its new brand ambassador, the 57-year-old German boxing champion Henry Maske

+++ Hummel has signed a five-year contract with Lukas Podolski, the 36-year-old Polish-born football star who previously played for various clubs in Germany, England, Turkey and Japan