adidas "for the first time has dropped to the No. 3 spot among sportswear brands in the U.S.," as its combined sales of athletic footwear and apparel this year trail those of Under Armour, according to Sara Germano of the WALL STREET JOURNAL. Data from Sterne Agee and SportScanInfo shows that adidas' sales so far this year "have fallen 23% from a year earlier" to $1.1B. Meanwhile, UA's sales "are up 20% over the same period" to $1.2B. Both adidas and UA "lag far behind Nike," which notched $8.9B in sales over the same period. But adidas' diminishing returns "underscore how the company is struggling for traction in the U.S., even as Nike gains ground in the German company's core European market." Alabama-based retailer Hibbett Sports Senior VP/Merchandising, Marketing & Logistics Becky Jones said that customers at their stores "strongly prefer Nike and Under Armour products, especially in youth apparel." She added that adidas products "sell well" in some locations, where the local customer base "is looking for an urban lifestyle look." But adidas' gear "isn't as popular in locations where customers are looking for a traditional, straightforward sporting-goods assortment." Despite falling to third in the U.S., adidas "is still the second-ranked sportswear maker globally" (WSJ.com, 9/5).
KNIGHTS IN SHINING ARMOUR: UA Founder, Chair & CEO Kevin Plank last week on Bloomberg TV said of signing an endorsement deal with model Gisele Bundchen and missing out on Thunder F Kevin Durant, "There's no deal too big for us. Our world has changed. We are the kids sitting at the Thanksgiving table saying, 'I don't want to sit at the little table anymore. I want a chair at the big table.'" In Baltimore, Lorraine Mirabella cites industry experts as saying that pursuing endorsements in two of its "key growth areas -- sales of apparel and shoes to women and sales of footwear in sports with wide appeal such as basketball -- is crucial" in elevating the UA brand globally (Baltimore SUN, 9/7). AD AGE's Jeanine Poggi noted ABC's "Good Morning America" on Friday interviewed Bundchen and U.S. skier Lindsey Vonn about their new UA campaign, but "not necessarily for the pure news or entertainment value of it all." A voiceover told viewers at the end of their appearance, "This segment was brought to you by Under Armour." Vonn and Bundchen "discussed partnering with Under Armour, the power of women, their workout regimens and their own careers." An ABC spokesperson said that segments sponsored by marketers "are not unusual" for "GMA." However, the spokesperson "could not point to other examples." Poggi noted it "was unclear exactly what went into" bringing the UA segment to air. A UA spokesperson "did not respond to requests for comment Friday" (ADAGE.com, 9/5).
