TRADE SHOWS & CONFERENCES
+++ The sneaker show Sneakerness in Cologne, Germany, planned for Sept. 16-17, has to be postponed to April 13-14, 2024, because the main sponsor unexpectedly “dropped out on short notice” +++
PRODUCT & MARKETING
+++ Adidas has revealed the Official Match Balls for the 2023/24 UEFA Champions League and the UEFA Women’s Champions League, with a new design paying tribute to the pre-match anthems that reverberate around stadiums at the start of every game
+++ 18-year-old German track prodigy Jolanda Kallabis, the German Indoor U18 champion, U18 European Champion, and 2000m steeplechase U18 world record holder, is the newest member of the On Athletics Club Europe
+++ Former British 1500m indoor and outdoor champion Sarah McDonald is back to the track after a challenging period of injuries in 2021, now as a member of Team On
+++ The Adidas mobile app has reportedly hit 100 million global lifetime downloads in both the iOS and Android app stores since its launch in 2017
+++ Adidas has extended its partnership with Newcastle United, the British Premier League soccer club as its kit sponsor for another five years from the 24/25 season
+++ Sorel Footwear, part of Columbia Sportswear’s portfolio, is expanding its universal styles on Zappos Adaptive, Zappos.com’s curated shopping experience featuring functional and fashionable, accessible footwear products
+++ Italian teamwear brand Macron is the new technical partner of the Georgia Basketball Federation in a new two-year deal
+++ U.S. Ski & Snowboard announced the first snowboard title partnership in history with Hydro Flask, a Helen of Troy brand, officially naming the team the Hydro Flask U.S. Snowboard Team
+++ Clif, maker of Clif Bar, announced a partnership with US pro tennis player Frances Tiafoe to launch a series of community tennis clinics in cities across the USA, providing young athletes greater access to the sport and a unique opportunity to train with Tiafoe
+++ Givova has replaced Legea as kit supplier of Italy’s AIA, the national referee association, starting in the current 2023/24 season and for three seasons, with an option to extend the deal for a further three-year period
+++ Allbirds released a new vintage-inspired sneaker style called the Courier, using materials such as organic cotton canvas, Tencel Lyocell and natural rubber
+++ Puma announced a first-of-its-kind collaboration with Lemlem, a ready-to-wear and swimwear brand made in Africa and founded by supermodel Liya Kebede +++
EXECUTIVE CHANGES
+++ Swedish company Happy Socks has named Alexander Meyer, most recently Chief Customer Officer at The Bay, Canada’s largest omni-retailer and North America’s oldest brand, as well as SVP Global Marketing at Quiksilver, Roxy, DC Shoes from 2014-2015 and a marketing executive at VF Corp from 2012-2014, among others, as its new Chief Executive Officer
+++ Swedish high-tech golf apparel brand Galvin Green has appointed Per Ågren, who has previously worked for Ecco and Acushnet, as Global Sales Director to strengthen global sales growth
+++ Reckitt Benckiser Group, a U.K.-based multinational consumer goods company that manufactures health, hygiene and nutrition products, announced that its chief financial officer, Jeff Carr, will retire in March 2024 and be replaced by Shannon Eisenhardt, currently CFO Consumer, Brand & Marketplace at Nike
+++ Greg Hybl, previously responsible for strategic partnerships at American Express, has joined Peloton as Senior Vice President and General Manager for Peloton for Business +++
LEGAL & INSTITUTIONAL
+++ The German footwear groups ANWR Schuh GmbH and SABU Schuh & Marketing GmbH announced their intention to cooperate with each other in the areas of trade shows and retail staff development
+++ Andy Salmon will step down as British Triathlon CEO in early 2024, after six years at the helm, to become CEO of Swim England +++
CORPORATE AND M&A
+++ Fischer UK is partnering with Uniq Snowsports, a company specializing in personalized snowsports coaching and experiences
+++ According to Shop Eat Surf, French surfboard label UWL in La Rochelle has renamed itself Shapers Club and is run by Thomas Cardinal, co-founder with his shaper brother Renaud +++
RETAIL & DISTRIBUTION
+++ Sports Illustrated, in partnership with Canada’s Define Group, has unveiled its first-ever clubhouse restaurant on the University of British Columbia campus in Vancouver, BC, Canada, part of the newly formed Sports Illustrated Restaurant Group’s premium dining concept
+++ J.Lindeberg opened a new store in Copenhagen, Denmark, on the last day of Copenhagen Fashion Week
+++ According to RetailDive, citing an email from brand owner Authentic Brands Group, Reebok has expanded its physical store inventory in Mexico with the opening of its first freestanding full-line store in Mexico City’s Fórum Buenavista shopping center
+++ Already working closely with the Hilton hotel chain and YMCA, Peloton Interactive now announced the launch of Peloton for Business, a B2B offering that provides equipment and content to customers in corporate wellness, multifamily, hospitality, community wellness, healthcare, education and gyms
+++ Fashion retailer H&M will reopen most of its stores in Ukraine from November 2023, the company said in a statement
+++ Sports Direct stated that sales of England jerseys increased by 32% month-on-month during the Women’s World Cup, and that clicks on the England jersey product page increased by 87% +++
