All Sporting Goods Intelligence articles in Volume 31, Issue 39+40 – Page 6
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ArticleUnder Armour is centralizing and digitalizing its European operations
Under Armour has decided against reopening its physical sales offices in Paris, Munich, Manchester and Barcelona, preferring instead to coordinate in-person and remote selling functions in the respective markets from a new, “futuristic” Digital Hub at its European headquarters in Amsterdam. The regional offices had been temporarily closed in the ...
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News briefs
Bianchi to sponsor GreenEDGE Cycling
Bianchi has signed a multi-year deal with GreenEDGE Cycling, the Australian UCI WorldTour team – and the only such team in the Asia-Pacific region. Once the contract takes effect, in January 2021, GeenEDGE’s male and female cyclists will compete on Bianchi’s bicycles. Among the riders are Simon Yates, Michael Matthews ...
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News briefs
Young ski racers join the “World Cup Warriors Team” of Reusch
Together with other top athletes sponsored by the Italian ski glove specialist, four up-and-coming ski racers will lead the new ”World Cup Warriors Team” of Reusch International. They are Clément Noël, Alice Robinson, Marco Odermatt and Lucas Pinheiro Braathen. They will be joined by well-known stars of recent years - ...
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News briefs
Google could make new concessions to get Fitbit's takeover approved
According to Reuters, the deadline for the approval by European anti-trust authorities of Google’s $2.1 billion acquisition of Fitbit has been extended from Dec. 23 to Jan. 8 after Google expressed some readiness to change the concessions it would be willing to make. This came after receiving feedback from a ...
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News briefs
Performance Days will go fully digital in December
Due to the current Covid-19 situation, the December 2020 edition of the Performance Days will not take place at the Messe München trade show center as initially planned, but as a fully digital event on the original dates of Dec. 9 and 10. Back in April 2020, the fabrics show ...
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News briefsMarchon to use Eastman’s sustainable acetate
Marchon Eyewear announced that it will be the first eyewear company to produce frames using Acetate Renew, a new, sustainable material produced by the American specialty chemical company Eastman. Unlike other sustainable alternatives, Acetate Renew is indistinguishable from classic acetate, according to Marchon. It plans to start producing acetate sunglasses ...
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News briefsYouTube is testing shopping features
According to a Bloomberg report, Google is testing the idea of turning YouTube into an e-commerce platform that would allow the purchase of items featured in videos. YouTube has been testing e-commerce features for a while. Late last year, it began testing Shopify software that enables creators to list as ...
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News briefs
Bollé’s new lenses have computer-designed pigments
Bollé’s newest sun lens, the Volt +, heightens contrast and color to improve depth perception. Technicians at Bollé’s R&D laboratory, called Epic and located in the French city of Lyon, used computers to sort through some 20 million light-wavelength combinations, fine-tuning the lens’s pigments to produce the proper transition curve. ...
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News briefs
Vibram teams up with Balenciaga on a footwear line
Collaborations with fashion brands are becoming more common in the athletic footwear sector. Vibram is introducing the “Toe” collection, a collaboration with Balenciaga on a shoe range made from recycled knit. The collaborative collection consists of two limited-edition sneaker styles and a high-heeled model. The shoes feature Vibram’s patented FiveFingers ...
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News briefs
The Cycle Shoe and London eBike Festival will be held in June 2021
The organizers of The Cycle Show and the London eBike Festival have announced that the combined shows will take place on June 25-27, 2021. The events will be held at Alexandra Palace in north London. The trade shows were expected to take place in April 2021, but have been postponed ...
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News briefs
The Bic Sport brand will disappear by year-end
Bic Sport, the leading French surf hardware brand, will soon disappear after more than 40 years. The brand will be renamed Tahe, following its acquisition two years ago by Tahe Outdoors. Bic Sport branded products will not be available after the end of 2020, or earlier if stocks are exhausted ...
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News briefsNew owners and new e-commerce focus for 4FRNT
An American freeride and backcountry ski company, 4FRNT, has been taken over by a group of private entrepreneurs and long-time friends who are said to be bringing a combination of financial resources and experience in the ski industry and digital operations to develop the brand into a more modern e-commerce ...
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News briefs
Zalando acquires producer of 3D virtual bodies
Zalando has acquired Fision, the Swiss producer of a body-scanning app and virtual dressing room. The Swiss company’s system creates 3D virtual bodies and clothing models on a platform called meepl. The Berlin-based European e-tailer already uses customer histories on purchases and returns to generate advice on sizes for 50 ...
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News briefs
Alibaba takes control of Auchan's Chinese grocery chain
Alibaba Group Holding is investing about $3.6 billion in the Sun Art Retail Group, which operates hypermarkets and supermarkets in China. Sun Art’s current chief executive, Peter Huang, will be taking on the additional post of chairman. The deal will raise Alibaba’s stake in Sun Art to about 72 percent. ...
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Article
GfK: Contrasting consumer sentiment across Europe
The second wave of the Covid-19 is beginning to stifle the previously expected recovery of the European economy, particularly for the consumption of non-essential products and services. Fortunately, it has not yet led to the retail lockdowns of the first wave in the spring – except in Wales and the ...
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News briefs
Major fire in Fischer’s Ukrainian ski factory
We have not yet received Fischer Sports’ comments on various press reports regarding a night-time fire that destroyed a large part of its joint venture factry in Ukraine on Oct; 12. According to the State Emergency Service of Ukraine (SES), the roof of a large one-storey building at the plant ...
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Article
VF wants to be more agile and digital
After releasing VF Corporation’s figures for the second quarter ended on Sept. 30, the group’s management said it felt that the worst of the Covid-19 crisis is over by now, but pointed out that the crisis will be prolonged, that the situation is going to be “volatile,” and that the ...
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News briefs
Fanatics partners with The British & Irish Lions
Fanatics, the international specialist in licensed sports merchandise, has announced a new manufacturing and e-commerce deal with The British & Irish Lions, the rugby union team made up of players from any of the Home Nations, i.e. the national teams of England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland. Fanatics has agreed to ...
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News briefs
Smith enters product partnerships with U.S. and Austrian snow sports teams
Smith announced a new global partnerships with the U.S. Ski & Snowboard association and the Austrian Ski Federation (ÖSV) to support elite athletes from both teams with high-end products for training and competition. Smith officially entered the racing market this winter with the launch of the Icon, a helmet approved ...
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News briefs
Shimano adjusts the distribution in Belgium and the Nordics
Shimano Belgium and Lazer Sport will relocate to a new office in Mechelen, Belgium as of July 1, 2021. Shimano Belgium is a subsidiary of Shimano Benelux while Lazer designs bicycle helmets in Belgium and markets these products globally. While sharing the new facilities, Shimano Belgium and Lazer Sport will ...
