Latest Headlines – Page 112
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ArticlePuma signs deal with metaverse accessory craftsman
Puma has entered into a partnership with Wagmi-san, a self-described “craftsman” of accessories (virtual streetwear) for parent NFTs. Wagmi-san runs a virtual shop called 10KTF in a metaverse called Neo Tokyo. In previous reports – such as our recent story on Meta – we have the general ...
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ArticleSportmaster reportedly withdraws from Poland
Go Sport, the Polish subsidiary of the Russian largest sporting goods retailer Sportmaster is pushed towards bankruptcy, the Russian newspaper Kommersant reported, citing sources close to the matter. Despite obtaining permission to sell the Polish business to British Sports Direct, Sportmaster failed to close the deal, while restrictions against the ...
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ArticleChina Dongxiang posts annual loss on lower revenues
China Dongxiang lost 1,747 million yuan renminbi (€247.6m) against a profit of RMB 1,811 million for the 12 months ended March 31. Total annual revenues slipped by 2.7 percent to RMB 1,916 million (€271.6m) from RMB 1,970 million. The gross margin fell to 63.9 percent from 65.6 percent. Assets at ...
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ArticleJD Sports doubles profits but sees flat earnings this year
U.K. retailer JD Sports Fashion has more than doubled annual profits but warns that inflationary headwinds mean that earnings could stand still in the current financial year. It has also highlighted governance issues under the regime of former chairman and chief executive Peter Cowgill, who was abruptly ousted last month. ...
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ArticleSSU outlines U.S. growth strategy
Signa Sports United (SSU) aims to strengthen its position in e-bikes and tennis in its core European market while implementing a similar approach in the U.S. through a combination of organic growth, mergers and acquisitions and third-party services, according to a presentation (direct PDF download) at the Jefferies Investor Conference ...
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ArticleCross-border online commerce in Europe rises 17 percent, while Brexit heavily impacts U.K. business
Cross-Border Commerce Europe (CBC), a Brussels-based platform promoting cross-border online commerce in Europe, publishes a yearly study that examines and ranks the 16 strongest European countries in terms of both consumer behavior and business performance in cross-border online commerce. In the 2021 ranking of the most eager EU consumers, Luxembourg ...
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ArticleAnalysis: Sales per employee increased 18% in 2021
Aggregate, year-over-year employee growth at 19 sporting goods companies rose 9.7 percent in 2021 as average sales per employee (SPE) at these firms increased 18.4 percent to €390,000. These calculations were made after SGI Europe scoured annual reports for year-end employee counts, which often were detailed to include full-time employees, ...
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ArticleU.S. ban on imports from Xinjiang goes into effect
The Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFPLA), prohibiting the import into the U.S. of products made by forced labor in Xinjiang, China, is now in force, under the oversight of U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP). The act was signed into law by President Joseph Biden on Dec. 23, 2021, ...
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ArticleU.K. rail strike deserts rail stations and heavily impacts retail companies
With their biggest strike for 30 years rolling over the U.K., British rail unions have brought 17.7 percent fewer shoppers to the greater London area, and 27 percent less to the city center compared to last week. Compared with the 2019 pre-Covid numbers, footfall was down 19.3 percent across U.K. ...
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ArticleSport 2000 to present a more united image internationally
Sport 2000 closed the 2021 financial year with record sales of €5.3 billion, confirming its position in sports retail in the DACH region. Now the sports retail group wants to become more visible worldwide as “One Sport 2000,” as the group announced at this year’s General Assembly. “The specialty sports ...
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ArticleMeta to sell name-brand avatar apparel
In January, Meta introduced its 3D avatars – already operative in its virtual-reality (VR) iteration – into Facebook, Messenger, Instagram Stories and direct messages (DMs). This month it is inaugurating the Meta Avatars Store, where users can purchase virtual apparel for their avatars from, so far, three name brands – ...
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ArticleClosed paper mill in Finnish Lapland becomes Infinited Fibers' new factory
After talking earlier this year of plans (as reported by our sister publication, The Outdoor Industry Compass) to invest some €220 million in a new regenerated textile fiber factory – though no site had reportedly been found at the time – fashion and textile technology company Infinited Fiber Company now ...
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ArticlePickleball is spreading to Europe
We have a closer look at Pickleball. The racquet sport that originated in the U.S. is becoming more popular in Europe.
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ArticleOuttra establishes expert advisory board
The German software company Outtra has founded an expert advisory board that will meet quarterly to exchange ideas. Siegbert Müller, founder and managing director of Outtra, initiated the idea to further develop and enhance his company’s tools on an ongoing basis and offer additional effective benefits to all cooperating brands, ...
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ArticleSaysh secures $8m in funding from Gap's Athleta and others
Consumer-focused fund IRIS and Gap Inc.’s performance lifestyle brand Athleta have led an $8 million Series A funding round for startup sneaker and lifestyle company Saysh. Other investors in the funding round include the 50-percent female early-stage team at Redpoint Ventures, a venture capitalist that has successfully invested in companies ...
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ArticleGfK reports Europe-wide retail turnover increase of 6.8 percent in 2021
Against the weaker 2020 numbers that reflected a European economy shaken by the first Covid-19 wave, the new figures conducted by GfK for the retail sector in Europe show an overall better situation for retailers. The 2021 European retail study sees retail sales increase significantly by ...
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ArticleAsics releases sustainability report
Asics Corp. has released its 2021 Sustainability Report, which outlines the company’s progress towards medium- and long-term sustainability goals. This was the first year working towards its targets for 2030 and 2050, which were set in 2020. The headline results for 2021, as defined by the company, ...
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ArticleMcKinsey surveys the metaverse
This month, McKinsey released a report titled “Value creation in the metaverse” to clarify what the metaverse is and what it means for business. By the consultancy’s calculations, the metaverse drew $13 billion in venture capital and private equity last year and has drawn more than $120 billion this year. ...
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ArticleANWR Group to add 2,500sqm to Mainhausen order center for new showrooms
ANWR Group announced plans to add a new building to its existing Ordercenter O1 on the Mainhausen Campus in Germany. Following the building permit submission, the symbolic groundbreaking ceremony is scheduled for October 2022, with completion planned for December 2023. Showrooms ranging in size from 100 to 500 square meters ...
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ArticleOutDoor by ISPO 2022: Back in business
OutDoor by ISPO, which ended on Tuesday, June 14, represented the relaunch of the ISPO Group’s sports trade shows after two and a half years of the Covid pandemic. Surprisingly for many, Messe München placed the show in the Munich Order Center (MOC) instead of the exhibition center in Munich-Riem, ...