TRADE & SOURCING
+++ U.S. sportswear brand Gant has partnered with Anaplan and Bedford Consulting to improve its supply chain and operations planning, including demand planning, supply planning and S&OP +++
FINANCIAL REPORTING
+++ Klarna reported a 21% increase in revenue in its first quarter, from SEK 3,551 million (€307.2m) last year to SEK 4,285 million this year, and thus sees itself continuing on track towards profitability despite a negative operating result of SEK -1,185 million (€-102.5m), compared to SEK -2,538 million in Q1 2022 +++
CORPORATE AND M&A
+++ Ben Francis, co-founder, CEO and majority owner of fitness apparel and accessories brand Gymshark, is listed in the new edition of the Sunday Times 35 under 35 Rich List (UK) at the fourth spot with a fortune of £900 million (€1.04bn)
+++ Frasers Group is reportedly exploring the sale of Liam Gallagher’s Pretty Green brand, Drapers reported +++
LEGAL & INSTITUTIONAL
+++ The French Tennis Federation (FFT) is using artificial intelligence technology from Bodyguard.ai to moderate social media content and protect players from cyberbullying and online harassment during the Roland Garros tournament
+++ Jorge Garbajosa, the current president of the Spanish Basketball Federation (FEB), will take over from Turgay Demirel as the new president of FIBA Europe, the administrative body for basketball in Europe +++
EXECUTIVE CHANGES
+++ Premier League club Aston Villa FC has appointed Chris Heck, most recently president of the Philadelphia 76ers in the NBA, as the new president of the club’s business operations
+++ U.S. specialty retailer Pacsun has announced a change in leadership, with Brie Olson, co-CEO and a member of Pacsun’s board of directors, being named CEO, effective June 15, while Mike Relich is retiring as co-CEO and joining Pacsun’s board of directors in a new role as vice chairman
+++ Viaplay Group AB, an international entertainment provider offering streaming service direct-to-consumer in every Nordic and Baltic country, Poland, the Netherlands, the UK, the US and Canada, has appointed Cecilia Gave, an experienced media executive who joined Viaplay in 2016, as EVP and Head of Sports
+++ Canadian performance apparel brand DU/ER has hired Burt Damsky, former NYC Alliance sales manager, as VP of global sales based in the company’s New York City showroom +++
PRODUCT & MARKETING
+++ Kappa will provide the BKT United Rugby Championship (URC) kits for all match officials in the competition, starting from the 2023/24 season
+++ Australian surfer Jack Freestone has joined the ION global surf team
+++ Champion and fashion designer Rick Owens will unveil their fourth collaborative collection on May 26, fusing “heritage and contemporary aesthetics” into a very distinct, contemporary athleticism
+++ Allbirds has released its first golf shoe, the Golf Dasher, made from sustainable materials and being co-promoted by golf personality, broadcaster, TV and podcast host Will Lawery
+++ Swiss-born Olympic Gold Medalist and current WTA number 11 ranked tennis star Belinda Bencic has joined the Asics team
+++ Italian teamwear brand Macron has announced a new technical partnership with Irish team Connacht Rugby
+++ Adidas is the new kit sponsor of the India cricket team in a new five-year deal, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has revealed
+++ German sports retailer SportScheck set the official world record for the most kilometers run on a treadmill in 24 hours on May 24 and 25, 2023, in Munich as part of the SportScheck Record RUN 23 supported by On +++
RETAIL & DISTRIBUTION
+++ Following its existing outlets in Dublin and Kildare, Nike opened a 930-sqm Nike Unite concept store in Dublin’s Blanchardstown Centre on May 18, where the company will partner on community involvement with Special Olympics Ireland and Foróige, Ireland’s leading youth organization
+++ Lids, the U.S. sportswear retailer headquartered in Indianapolis, is opening three new stores in June, including one in Nieuwendjik in Amsterdam, Netherlands, and two in London, United Kingdom, in Borough Yards and Westfield Stratford
+++ Superdry has opened a new store in Jalandhar, in the Indian state of Punjab, located in the Model Town shopping area +++
CSR & SUSTAINABILITY
+++ Expanding its initiative with Sustainaballs, Pádel Nuestro is now offering a discount of €5 on purchases of €60 or more to customers who collect their used pádel balls and drop them off at one of the retailer’s stores for recycling
+++ British paddle board brand and inflatable SUP specialist Red Paddle Co has become certified as a B Corp
+++ Zara will extend its Zara Pre-Owned second-hand platform to France and then Germany and Spain by the end of 2023
+++ The Surfrider Foundation, a leading nonprofit organization dedicated to the protection of the world’s oceans, founded in 1984 by a handful of surfers in California, launched its global Ocean Needs More Friends campaign to rally one million friends to fight plastic and water pollution, climate change and threats to the ocean and coasts +++
