Retail
Distribution
From licensing deals to wholesale consolidation — the agreements and models that determine market access.
Latest headlines
Hyrox moves into gym apps through ABC Fitness deal
Hyrox has struck a partnership with gym software giant ABC Fitness to embed its official Hyrox365 programming directly into gym-branded apps, removing the need for a separate Hyrox download and giving affiliated operators a new tool to differentiate their offer.
Columbia Sportswear gives GXO its European distribution hub
Columbia now has logistics provider GXO running its Cambrai, France, hub, the main node for continental Europe.
Technogym launches its first Pilates reformer in the US
Technogym prices its US reformer at $13,670: four times what US retailers quote for professional reformers.
Onitsuka Tiger sets up in Spain ahead of Asics split
The Japanese lifestyle brand has quietly established a dedicated Iberian entity on Barcelona’s Passeig de Gràcia, signalling accelerating European ambitions as its separation from parent company Asics draws closer.
JD Sports enters Mexico with 140-store franchise
The UK retailer launches in 2027 via a license deal with Grupo Axo, marking its first entry into Mexico.
Fanatics renews UEFA card deal until 2033
The deal covers six UEFA club competitions, with cards produced under the Topps brand.
Fictional football club scores real Sports Direct deal
A satirical Sunday league team invented by a comedian is becoming Sports Direct’s newest exclusive kit partner.
SGIE talks to Fanatics on DP World Tour, Ryder Cup deal
Fanatics becomes exclusive retail partner of the DP World Tour and Ryder Cup Europe, with rights to make Team Europe kit replicas for the first time.
Inov8 ends four years of DTC in France
Inov8 has reversed its direct-to-consumer strategy in three of its six self-declared priority markets, reinstating distributors in France, Austria and Scandinavia just years after confidently bringing them under direct control.
Nike to rejigger online sales in China after all
Nike confirmed it will end online sales via partner stores in China from January 1, 2027, moving to its own digital channels.
Footasylum warehouse robots arrive with no capital cost
The retailer’s new automated warehouse runs on a pay-as-you-go model from AutoStore distributor THG Fulfil, live this September.
Fashion chain Castro brings Anta Sports to Israel
Anta runs 250 stores outside China against 10,000 at home — Israel just became one of them, via a fashion retailer.
Nike’s ‘reset’ of China policy leaves distributors guessing
Topsports halted trading and said Nike sent no formal notice, even as online sales make up 22% of its revenue.
Hummel partners with spized for custom teamwear
Hummel appoints spized as official custom kit partner. 12 products for football and handball via 3D configurator from June 2026.
India’s Reebok revival: 210 stores and counting
Reebok’s India sales have roughly doubled in three years, and the franchise model behind it is a template others are watching
SportsShoes.com signs YETI as UK retail partner
The Bradford-based retailer with £93.3m turnover adds YETI coolers, drinkware, and bags to its 150-brand running and outdoor roster
Asics and Montana Sport to end distribution agreement
The Swiss handover reflects Asics’s broader push toward a 40% direct-to-consumer ratio in Europe
Fanatics and The FA sign exclusive Topps card deal
The agreement covers trading cards, stickers, and trading card games for both England national teams, beginning in 2031.
Skechers picks Mainhausen for German HQ
The move consolidates showroom and HQ into one facility at Europe’s largest footwear ordering campus.
Montirex takes on Europe via JD Sports
The Liverpool-born challenger brand pairs a 24-location Spanish rollout with a culturally targeted athlete deal — built without a single outside investor.
Fanatics wins exclusive FIFA collectibles license
Fanatics takes exclusive FIFA collectibles rights — ending Panini’s World Cup sticker run that began in 1970.
How ICIW is building Europe one gym deal at a time
A Belgium studio deal in March, a 50-location Dutch exclusivity now: ICIW’s market entry model is becoming legible.
Geopolitics opens India’s door to Anta
The Fujian-based group plans 10 stores by March 2027, positioning Anta in India’s premium sportswear segment as bilateral tensions ease.
Myprotein activewear enters Footasylum stores in the UK
Sports nutrition brand Myprotein enters multi-brand physical retail with MP Activewear, targeting 16-to-24-year-olds in seven Footasylum stores.
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