Industry News – March 2nd, 2016

Curated fashion industry news links for Wednesday, March 2nd, 2016…

WHY SHOE STARTUPS ARE MAKING SNEAKERS FROM WOOL – Bloomberg
“The perfect airport shoe is hard to come by. It should be stylish, cushioned but not overly sporty, and slip on easily. Tim Brown, a former professional soccer player from New Zealand, thinks he has the killer application for such a shoe: wool.”

STUDY: E-COMMERCE FRAUD RISK VARIES BY LOCATION – RetailingToday
“When it comes to fraudulent online transactions, one state in particular may warrant a little extra attention from retailers. Analysis of millions of 2015 e-commerce transactions by Experian indicates Florida is the overall riskiest state for billing fraud, followed by Delaware; Washington, D.C.; Oregon and California. Billing fraud states are determined by where the consumer whose information was illegally used resides. Eudora, Kansas, has the overall riskiest billing ZIP Code (66025). The next two riskiest ZIP codes are located in Miami (33178) and Boston (02210).”

BADGLEY MISCHKA AND TITAN INDUSTRIES BUY TRADEMARK RIGHTS FROM ICONIX – FootwearNews
“Mark Badgley and James Mischka and partner Titan Industries Inc. announced that they purchased the rights to the Badgley Mischka trademark for $16 million in cash. Apparel licensee MJCLK LLC is also a partner. Iconix Brand Group was the former rights owner (while Titan was a longtime partner on the footwear license.)”

UNDER ARMOUR JUST DISCOVERED A MULTI-MILLION DOLLAR OPPORTUNITY – Business Insider
“Under Armour has had an impressive run during its 20-year history, going from zero to $4 billion in annual sales over that period. But it still has a long way to go to catch Nike, with over $30 billion in revenues for the year. The Maryland-based company isn’t focusing on one particular area. Basketball, connected technology, golf, and many other segments all need to grow for Under Armour to reach the CEO’s goal of $10 billion in revenue by 2020. Taking a larger share of the outdoor apparel and footwear market is an important part of the company’s strategy, as well. In 2014, 56% of annual consumer spending on outdoor activity equipment and apparel in the United States went to apparel and footwear, with the rest going toward equipment and gadgets.”

ABERCROMBIE & FITCH REPORTED AN UNEXPECTED RISE IN SALES AND THE STOCK IS TAKING OFF – Business Insider
“The retailer’s shares rose about 6 percent to $31.14 in premarket trading on Wednesday. Abercrombie said sales at stores open at least 12 months rose 1 percent in the fourth quarter ended Jan. 30, breaking a streak of more than 3 years of decline.”