CORPORATE AND M&A
+++ Dakine veteran Micah Nickens has launched a new brand, Uncles Movement, in Hawaii, offering lifestyle and technical apparel as well as the “Betterman Challenge,” a 30-day action plan “designed to re-align our daily decisions and habits”
+++ PDD Holdings, the owner of the discount e-commerce platforms Pinduoduo and Temu, has moved its headquarters from China to Ireland, according to recent company filings +++
EXECUTIVE CHANGES
+++ As announced in late 2022, Freddy Sobin started his position as the new group CEO of XXL on May 1
+++ Newcastle, London-based luxury streetwear and sportswear retailer End. has appointed Lea Cranfield, previously working in the same position for Net-A-Porter, as chief buying and merchandising officer, responsible for driving product strategy while reporting to CEO Parker Gundersen
+++ Turnaround specialist Michel Maire has been appointed CEO of Hermione Retail, the company that oversees the 26 Galeries Lafayette department stores owned by Hermione People & Brands (HPB) and was placed under safeguard procedure by the Bordeaux Commercial Court on February 22 with a six-month observation period, replacing Eric Damiron, who retired after five years with HPB
+++ Recco hired Billy Treacy, formerly sales director for Easton Bell Sports, senior sales manager for Under Armour, sales and sports marketing rep for Oakley and a pro ski patroller at Brighton, as its North American sales manager +++
RETAIL & DISTRIBUTION
+++ Footasylum plans to open a new flagship on Oxford Street later this year - rumored to be perhaps a 560-sqm store in the Atria Watford shopping center - as part of its ongoing retail expansion plans in the UK
+++ Liverpool FC has extended its long-standing deal with Central Retail Corporation (CRC Sports), the club’s official retail and licensing partner in Thailand, now into its eighth season, by adding a further five years to the partnership
+++ Canadian athleisure company Lululemon will open its first store in Thailand in Bangkok’s CentralWorld shopping complex in July
+++ Nike has opened its 2nd concept store in Jaipur, the capital of the Indian state of Rajasthan
+++ Foot Locker will begin selling HeyDude products online and in 450 Foot Locker, Champs Sports and Kids Foot Locker locations in North America, according to Retail Dive +++
E-COMMERCE & DTC
+++ Liverpool FC has appointed All Star Partners as its official retail partner in China to provide Chinese fans with easier access to official retail products through digital e-commerce marketplaces on Tmall, Douyin and JD.com +++
CSR & SUSTAINABILITY
+++ Activewear brand Fabletics and its sister brand Yitty, a shapewear label founded by musician Lizzo, have expanded their resale program started in 2021 with ThredUp to include a secondhand store for Fabletics and Yitty products sold through the brands’ joint website
+++ Zalando has renewed its membership in the International Accord on Fire and Building Safety in the Textile and Garment Industry, a legally binding agreement signed by fashion brands, retailers and trade unions to improve working conditions and safety measures in textile and garment factories around the world +++
PRODUCT & MARKETING
+++ Swedish sports brand EQPE, owned by Skistar, has launched a summer collection in collaboration with former professional skier Charlotte Kalla, and is reportedly planning a winter collection for cross-country skiing after that
+++ The Professional Triathletes Organization (PTO) has announced a new agreement with Garmin that sees the brand become the official transition sponsor for the races of the 2023 PTO Tour, as the athletes transition from each stage of the triathlon – from swim to bike to run
+++ Under Armour has renewed its partnership with the Cursa El Corte Ingles running event in Barcelona for its 43rd edition on Sunday, May 7
+++ Burton released the Icons Collection existing of four limited-edition boards showcasing the brand’s history of rider-driven innovation in partnership with the sport’s most legendary personalities: The 1987 Elite, the 1995 Kelly Air, the 1996 Dolphin and the 2011 Nug – available for purchase on burton.com since May 2
+++ Just four months after joining Swiss sportswear brand On, British steeplechaser Aimee Pratt is now also part of the European division of On’s professional athletics team, On Athletics Club Europe
+++ Skechers has entered a partnership with Pickleball Canada that names the brand as the Official Footwear Sponsor of the Pickleball Canada National Championship, starting with the current season
+++ EssilorLuxottica and Roger Federer have announced an exclusive licensing agreement for the design, manufacture and worldwide distribution of eyewear between the Roger Federer (RF) and Oliver Peoples brands
+++ The Decathlon brand Nabaiji will be the technical partner of Italian swimmer Filippo Magnini as he returns to compete in the Master circuit
+++ World Rugby and Gallagher, a global insurance brokerage, risk management and consulting services company, announced a multi-year global partnership establishing Gallagher as an Official Partner of Women’s Rugby and Rugby World Cup 2025
+++ For the first time, Hoka is a Germany partner of the world-renowned charity run Wings for Life +++
LEGAL & INSTITUTIONAL
+++ The England & Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has announced Baroness Zahida Manzoor CBE, Penny Avis, Gareth Williams and Jennifer Owen Adams as its newest non-executive directors on a three-year term +++
TRADE FAIRS & CONFERENCES
+++ More than 775 exhibiting companies are expected to participate in Surf Expo at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Florida, on Sept. 7-9, with a 20 percent increase in square footage compared to last year, the organizers said +++
