Jon Sinko

One of the most rewarding things I get to do professionally is this presentation - a session aimed at helping brands and their sales teams understand how most independent retailers formulate their buying plans, and how that understanding can lead to more long-term sales. Over the past few years, I have been fortunate enough to present this to dozens of brands. I’ve been in front of the sales team for the biggest brand in the outdoor industry, and startups that have one employee. The consistently surprising thing that I observe is this - most people responsible for selling to wholesale have at best a fuzzy understanding of the math that buyers use to spend their open-to-buy, and it’s a huge unlock for their success when they learn it. Knowing how and why a wholesale account spends money with you - beyond “because we make cool stuff” - gives you the opportunity to be an exceptional brand partner. Plus, it can make everyone more money. If you’re interested in learning more about how to bring this session to your team, please reach out. One other thing. This was my first time back to Outdoor Retailer in years. It’s a completely different show than what it once was . The thing that inspired me to accept this gig was that it’s mostly now made up of small brands. Some of those brands are very small businesses- just like Sunlight Sports. I hope that something that we talked about in my session helps one of those people who have risked so much on their new startup brand be successful. If so, what a great feeling. More thoughts on OR overall to come. Katie Soule thanks for the post! #outdoorretailer #outdoorindustry #independentlyowned

91

17 Comments

Ironically, Nike's Olympic ad tagline sums up John Donahoe's disappointing tenure at the Swoosh. In less than 5 years, the CEO has authored two significant layoffs, gutted employee morale & spurred Nike's stock price to plummet by over 100 points from its high of 177. Donahoe’s decision to eliminate sport categories, let go of experienced employees, over-index on direct-to-consumer sales & become reliant on consultant strategies has resulted in sluggish sales & a weakened brand. Nike’s product innovation pipeline has dried up & consumers no longer view the brand as cool. Additionally, upstart competitors like On & Hoka have gained market share. Notable female athletes such as Simone Biles, Allyson Felix, Breanna Stewart & Sloane Stephens parted ways with Nike instead of renewing their contracts. In any other company or sports team, a change in leadership would have been made long ago. Donahoe has proven he can’t WIN. Phil Knight & the Nike board have become enablers & must make a CEO change before irreparable damage is done to this once-great company. Shareholders, employees, former employees & consumers deserve better. Just Do It! #nike #lackofleadership #failedceo #justdoit #heavyhittersports

1,412

146 Comments

San Diego Sport Innovators (SDSI) recently asked me 'Why I mentor?' Transparently I have only mentored one cohort with SDSI. Our group worked with Michael Mullen and the brilliant venture in BBQ Baseball. But I believe that if you mentor with SDSI you probably mentor in the rest of your life too. To answer the question I would consider these areas… The first is that ‘my why’ is to teach and to lead. Mentoring is my reason for being. Whether with friends, colleagues, or family, I always aim to support people in realizing something they want or helping them to achieve something just outside of their comfort zone. This leads to reason #2. The second is better summarized by someone else than myself and this excerpt from James Clear’s newsletter does a great job explaining it. Economics professor Tyler Cowen on raising the aspirations of others: "Yesterday I had lunch with a former Ph.D student of mine, who is now highly successful and tenured at a very good school. I was reminded that, over twenty years ago, I was the Graduate Director of Admissions. One of my favorite strategies was to take strong candidates who applied for Masters and also offer them Ph.D admissions, suggesting they might do the latter. My lunch partner was a beneficiary of this de facto policy. At least two of our very best students went down this route... neither realized that it was common simply to apply straight to a Ph.D program, skipping over the Masters. I believe this is now better known, but the point is this. At critical moments in time, you can raise the aspirations of other people significantly, especially when they are relatively young, simply by suggesting they do something better or more ambitious than what they might have in mind. It costs you relatively little to do this, but the benefit to them, and the broader world, may be enormous. This is one of the most valuable things you can do with your time and with your life." Source: The high-return activity of raising others’ aspirations (Hat tip to Anna Gát) I have personally benefitted form this type of mentorship engagement and I strongly believe that when we reach any level of our potential, it becomes our responsibility to help others discover and achieve theirs. And honestly, in many mentorship experiences, you will learn just as much as you lead. 

29

3 Comments

Latest visual Nike FY25 Q1 quarterly results. - Revenues were $11.6 billion, down 10 percent - NIKE Direct revenues were $4.7 billion, down 13 percent - Wholesale revenues were $6.4 billion, down 8 percent - Gross margin increased 120 basis points to 45.4 percent - Diluted earnings per share was $0.70 for the first quarter, down 26 percent 

69

Data, design, perception science, and a heap of passion culminated in the creation of another successful shoe by Specialized. Shout out to the team who brought it to life. Check it out here: https://lnkd.in/gYg7Cd27

182

12 Comments

The news that Outdoor Retailer is stepping away from the winter show to focus on summer marks the closing of a sad outdoor industry chapter. Some complained that OR became expensive. Or a big party. Or they didn’t like the move from SLC to Denver and back. In the end, Winter OR (which also consumed the SIA show) is gone.   We should thank Emerald Expositions for putting on a great show that helped the outdoor industry flourish. We grew from regional rep shows to a national presence. Outdoor became important, even a force. Big brands showed leadership. Small brands emerged; some became big brands. Non-profits & industry groups were born and became meaningful.   The Winter chapter is over. We’ll see what happens to Summer. The forecast is bleak. This year, there were six regional shows the same week. Next year won’t be different.  Our industry evolved into a competition for orders, with a focus on me-first. We’ve lost the secret sauce that made us a force. We’ve lost the cohesion of an industry that gathers twice a year to solve challenges and address the future.   When I started the LOWA distribution business in 1996, our small booth was on the same aisle as Superfeet & Smartwool, two brands in their infancy. If they hadn’t had a national opportunity to be found by retailers, they may never have flourished. Between their business, their customers’ business and the offshoot brands that followed, the missed economic opportunity would be in the BILLIONS! Where would we be without these two great brands?  Today’s industry financial results show sliding sales and profits despite the rise in outdoor participation post Covid. As an industry we are missing the opportunity to engage with these new consumers cohesively. We may have individual wins, but as an industry, we no longer present trends, collaborate, network (where have my people gone?), or have a venue for emerging brands to showcase their wares and for larger brands to lead.   The calendar is full. Order deadlines are earlier than ever. Summer OR and Switchback are jammed by rep shows. It seems every time one show moves, another jumps on top and the calendar gets jammed again. Me first.  Maybe we don’t need the old show. We do need something to unite the industry, collectively promote the outdoors and create business solutions for today’s challenges. Maybe it’s a conference. Or a conference with an expo. But it’s clear we need a place for big & small brands, retailers & industry affiliates to gather and share their collective wisdom and energy.    To do that, we need leadership to get brand representatives, retailers, rep groups and industry partners in a room and sort this out.  Who’s willing to be the leader to create the next generation of outdoor industry success? Is it Emerald/OR or Diversified/Switchback with a new vision & timing? Is it a group of brands? Rep groups? Can large retailers, GOA and the ski industry buying groups take the lead?   OIA? Who will answer this call? 

319

64 Comments

I see significant changes coming to the gym equipment industry in the next 10 years. As long as people want to stay fit, there will always be a demand for gym equipment. With economic development, people will invest more in their health, making this industry resilient and not solely dependent on population growth. Many entrepreneurs will start to notice these trends, and more players will enter this industry. Despite this, the market still has many blue ocean opportunities, with ample room for innovation and improvement. Brands like Peloton exemplify how finding the perfect product can generate substantial revenue, even outpacing long-established industry leaders.

1

A new trend in footwear is emerging... Teams are getting smaller and leaner. Why is this shift so powerful? - More agility: Quick pivots - Focused work: Prioritized tasks - Greater impact: Less waste, more value (Basecamp’s model proves it.) By adopting this lean strategy, the footwear industry is becoming more innovative and customer-driven. Smaller teams aren’t just a trend—they’re the future. Don’t just follow the crowd, follow the principles. Your results will 100x if you do.

194

17 Comments

Nike has some amazing talent in product Innovation, so it begs the question- why have the rest of the Nike biz not been able to commercialize the newness or not even been able to consider to take it on as viable marketable products? I am sure the innovation team was not pushing over saturation of AF1’s as the sole product strategy! Firing people off the innovation team is the last place budget savings should be captured- and it is not the fact that creators have worked at home that has pinched new product flow- as pretty sure all the market growth brands nibbling at the Gorilla worked the same way and many still do!! Nike’s top senior management have been questioned for a decade over numerous issues- female rights/diversity issues/lack of innovative ideas/ongoing legal claims by athletes over AS abuse/ closing out pregnant athletes SO leaving them in charge to decimate the true talent in the Org, to try and make financial statements look better- is a crucial mistake! Plus tooling up other brands talent pools with wide product team cuts will certainly hamper the brand in the market share fight !! Thanks for posting Matt #creativetalent #time4change #nike #technicalfootwear @DougS888

44

8 Comments

I’m unashamedly a product guy. Starting in the sports industry in the 80’s and lucky enough to have experienced amazing product like Diadora’s Edwin Moses signature running shoe. Luxurious Kangaroo hide upper and made in Italy - back when that meant something. Pure luxury footwear, and about $120 in 1985! I highlight this point as I have always loved the sensory aspect of product. The touch, the feel and in this case the amazing smell of leather. You know, what they used to make football boots out of years ago! :-) As we witness the pendulum swing back from a decade of focus on “Performance Marketing” (Digital) to Brand Marketing (People, Product) I wonder if there is anyone left who remembers the joy of a new sample range of product? While Covid was a major contributor to the death of the sample range it had already started to be a path to cost cutting. I question the lack of emotion in the sales process these days and the fact that the sample experience has gone the way of the dodo. Replaced by an image on a screen, maybe a slick video and an order allocation & deadline. I fear the digital evolution and subsequent backswing that has plagued Nike (and others) might be as fundamental as reconnecting many in the sales process with actual real products and not just images. Maybe the soul needs to be reconnected to the sole. Quality over Quantity. Less is More. Am I the only one? #sportsbusiness #sportsmarkerting #sneakers #sportsfootwear #sportsbrands #product #nike #diadora

105

18 Comments

Local Color As my feeds are being peppered with widely variable messages about the health of the Outdoor Recreation Industry these days (Quarterly performance is a mixed bag, too many layoffs and furloughs, participation is up, some uptick in new vehicle sales at Camping World etc. etc.), one bit of wisdom from Adidas' CEO hit close to home: “You have to be more American to be successful in America. You have to be in the American sports,” Gulden said. “There is a clear, clear, clear plan for how to be more American in America and our product pipeline and our marketing activities are lined up to do that … We have tough competition in the U.S. from American brands, and we have to be better than what we have been before to be successful" Strong and eloquent words from the head of one of the world's most recognized brands. Since I started my Fractional/Solopreneur Journey/Micro Agency last year, I've been fortunate to work with a number of Asia-based brands who are seeking to grow and scale differently in the US. They are embracing the spirit of "local color" i.e., retaining US experts deeply enmeshed in the Outdoor Industry to co-create Brand Strategies, Identities, Product Roadmaps, and Communications. Local Color can also be embraced by domestic brands (established, or startups) who are crystal-clear about their positioning and Personas. These are the folks who start with an authentic and focused audience, and build out concentric circles. Their growth might not be meteoric, but it will most likely be sustainable. In a world where there is too much good product out there, we'd all be best served starting with a Local mindset before Going Global. ------- 📸 MJ alpha prompt "american people camping overlanding style. recent model year vehicles. diverse group. photo shot with Canon EOS. beautiful sunset" - ~7th variant to get an image I felt suitable

17

5 Comments

Great partnerships are strategic and have aligned values. We approached SquadLocker at the end of last year to solve a problem in aquatic sports (swimming, water polo, and diving) — custom aquatic uniforms (swimsuits) and gear provided 365 days per year, made to order, and shipped directly to the consumer. Swim, water polo, and dive are sports that are often overlooked because managing the consumer experience is challenging. There are multiple body types for one or two specific SKUs that must fit and support the athlete competitively at the highest level, and the short seasons mean uniforms can't be ordered until the season starts. At RYTE Sport, we have been in the trenches trying to be a solution for these aquatic athletes and coaches. This starts with manufacturing locally, manufacturing quickly, and producing best-in-class products. With SquadLocker, we are providing this solution for aquatic teams, so they don't have to settle for just ordering a solid color suit with their logo slapped on it. These teams can design and purchase highly customized functional swim and water polo suits. We now offer the only vertically integrated design tool for competitive swimwear. Check it out: https://lnkd.in/g8bshWud Click here to read more: https://lnkd.in/gM6sg_TE

33

7 Comments

Ideally, I would start with “Outdoor Retailer is dead, long live [Powerful brand name for this new show]!”  My time in SLC was not what I expected—both in positive and negative ways. As I already alluded to, Emerald should strongly consider changing the name. The event that wraps up today in the Salt Palace is not recognizable as the heritage OR.  It’s not the same brands, the same feel, the same buyers, or even the same smell.  It’s something else: smaller, younger, rougher around the edges.  Anyone who came to the show thinking they would get the old show was disappointed, which I think is a huge issue.  Because the event itself wasn’t disappointing if you had different (or in my case, lower) expectations - it was pretty energetic, relatively well-attended, and to my eye, full of potential if a couple of other changes happened. Second, there is no way that this show should be in the middle of June.  I’ll say it again:  June is full, please come back again next month.  The reps and retailers have spent the last 4 weeks looking at lines, and now we need to write orders with our major brands.  OR isn’t about big brands anymore - it’s more of a show for peripheral brands.  And while I did find four small companies to buy from, I did that at the expense of being back in my office.  Meanwhile, I saw very few independent buyers from other states (because they are all in the same spot in the buying process).  I did see a fair number of buyers from two other silos.  There were badges from local Utah shops, and then there were the huge corporations.  Most of the retailer badges I saw were from Wal-Mart, Sam’s, Urban Outfitters, TJX, Academy, and the like. Most of the attendees were people not directly involved in the buy/sell process.  Tons of media, many service providers, and people just walking the show made it a little tough to get into booths in the afternoon. But the Emerald team that put this show together should feel great about the progress that they have made.  It’s a way better scene than had been described by people who had gone to recent iterations.  And you can see how this thing could work. Will I go back to OR?  If it continues in its current timeframe,  I don’t know that I would.  Now that I am at home, looking at a pile of order forms I am already behind on, I am very stressed.  Would I go to that show in July (or January for the winter season)?  Yeah, I think that I would.  My big orders would be done, and I would be looking to gamble a little with my remaining open-to-buy. It was fun, the vibe was good, and it felt like a place where I might find smaller brands that I could sell.  Plus, I would suspect that a later-in-the-season show might attract other people to whom I am connected. Just don’t call it Outdoor Retailer. #outdoorindustry #outdoorretailer #specialtyretail

144

43 Comments

Why do I mentor for San Diego Sport Innovators (SDSI)? It’s about giving back to an industry I’m passionate about and supporting the next wave of sports, active lifestyle, and healthy living companies. SDSI is a community of over 100 executives and founders who believe in the power of shared knowledge. From start-ups to global successes, the accelerator program helps businesses achieve the future their founders envision—whether it’s building a legacy company or planning for a big exit. When I first joined SDSI, I was drawn in by this mission and building community in San Diego. But what keeps me coming back is the experience of working with a close-knit group, learning from fellow experts, and watching these companies evolve and grow. There’s nothing quite like seeing the impact of mentorship in real-time. #accelerator #entrepreneurshipjourney #Mentorship #Leadership #Entrepreneurship #Startups

28

2 Comments

Nike Reports Fiscal 2024 4th Quarter and Full Year Results: - Full year revenues were $51.4 billion compared to $51.2 billion in the prior year, up 1 percent on a currency-neutral basis* - Fourth quarter revenues were $12.6 billion, down 2 percent on a reported basis and flat on a currency-neutral basis - NIKE Direct revenues for the fourth quarter were $5.1 billion, down 8 percent on a reported basis and down 7 percent on a currency-neutral basis - Wholesale revenues for the fourth quarter were $7.1 billion, up 5 percent on a reported basis and up 8 percent on a currency-neutral basis - Gross margin for the fourth quarter increased 110 basis points to 44.7 percent - Diluted earnings per share was $0.99 for the fourth quarter

71

Who's Your Athlete? For me, it's my grandkids. At Action Floors, we put a face behind the work we do as we're committed to developing the safest sports flooring solutions that enhance performance and minimize injury risks. We tailor our approach to fit every athlete's age, ability, and skill level. Are you searching for a sports flooring solution to fit your unique athlete? Tell me about their needs in the comments below. #actionfloors #athletes #sports #sportsflooring

6

Dear Bjorn Gulden, in life as in retail many things are inexplicable. However, the German Football Federation's recent decision to terminate their partnership with adidas and move to Nike as their new kit supplier from 2027 is not one of them. Nike saw an opportunity to offer improved terms to the federation and outbid their rival amidst recent challenges. It's no surprise that the DFB jumped at the chance to accept such an offer, given the current economic situation and the recent performance of their team on the international soccer scene. On the other hand, Adidas has faced some inexplicable controversies in their own turf, including the recent debacle of the stylized font of the number '4' on the jerseys, reminiscent of the lightning-bolt symbols used by Nazi SS units in WWII. Additionally, there has been ambiguity surrounding the ongoing sales of Yeezy's leftover inventory in global markets. It's clear that Nike's conquesting tactics have paid off with this new partnership, providing a significant boost to their PR. As for Adidas, it seems they have some work to do to maintain their position in the market. #sportswear #fashion #retail #sportsmarketing #soccer #PR #linkedinpostsbymariopace #partnerships Read more about this story here: https://lnkd.in/etx3PxFn

2

HOW CAN ATHLETES IMPROVE THEIR COORDINATION WITH REFLEX TRAINING? https://lnkd.in/gTTpuN-u #blinkpro #trainsmart #trainlikeapro #blinkproinfinity #blinkprodiamonds #cognitivetraining #psychomotortraining #psychomotorskills #tacticaltraining #reflextraining #reactiontraining

2

Mark Hochgesang It’s a critical point you're raising. Phil Knight, being a co-founder and having a significant legacy at Nike has the potential to influence decisions at the board level profoundly. His intervention could indeed galvanize action, aligning the company's direction with long-term strategic goals rather than short-term stock performance. The potential loss of market share to competitors like On , HOKA , Salomon etc. is a tangible risk, especially if Nike's current strategies aren't resonating with consumers. While the direct impact of losing a customer might not immediately show up on a balance sheet, the cumulative effect can be substantial. Brand loyalty and customer retention are crucial for sustained success in the competitive athletic footwear and apparel market. If Phil Knight steps in, it might signal a significant shift in strategy that could address these concerns and potentially stabilize or even grow Nike's market share in the long run. #philknightnikeceo #customerloyalty #retention

2