Latest news with #Urban
Miami Herald
4 hours ago
- Business
- Miami Herald
Nike turns to unexpected brand in desperate bid to win back Gen Z
One brand reps LeBron, Serena, and Olympic gold. The other sells corduroy fanny packs and mushroom lamps. Raise your hand if you never thought you'd associate Nike with Urban Outfitters On paper, they live in completely different universes - one powered by performance, the other by personality. Nike is about greatness. Urban is about vibes. Don't miss the move: Subscribe to TheStreet's free daily newsletter And yet, here we are. Because when a brand starts slipping with the generation it once ruled, strange things happen. Related: Nike, Adidas face rising threat on the golf course Nike has been showing cracks. Once the default for teens, the brand's influence has started to fade. Gen Z is drifting toward streetwear, niche performance labels, and brands that feel more in tune with their identity than with big sponsorship deals. Meanwhile, Urban Outfitters has something Nike needs right now: cultural relevance with young people. Not tastemakers. What do you do when your brand starts feeling out of touch? You partner with someone who still has the juice. And that's exactly what Nike just did. Urban Outfitters The new concept is called On Rotation, and it has already launched inside select Urban Outfitters locations in New York, D.C., Scottsdale, San Diego, and Manhattan Beach. Each space is designed like a lounge, not a locker curated product drops, low lighting, and a discovery-first layout. Nike is the first featured brand. The activation includes more than 150 pieces of Nike apparel and footwear, available both in-store and online. not just about selling hoodies and Dunks. This is a larger play to recapture Gen Z's attention and, maybe more importantly, its respect. Related: Lululemon scores a huge victory over Nike Urban Outfitters says future On Rotation partnerships will feature fashion, lifestyle, and design brands that speak to Gen Z values. For now, Nike gets the full spotlight. "Urban Outfitters has always been a destination for discovery, especially for Gen Z," said Cyntia Leo, head of brand marketing. "Nike is the ideal first partner… their cultural credibility is unmatched." Except, that last part might not be true anymore. This isn't just a team-up. It's a test. Can Nike blend into culture again? Whether Gen Z actually buys in is the question nobody can answer yet. Nike's dominance isn't gone, but it's fragile. Nike is (obviously) still widely recognized, but its grip on younger consumers isn't what it used to be. Young shoppers are turning toward brands like New Balance, Hoka, and On - labels that mix cool with credibility and don't feel like they're trying so hard. Nike, on the other hand, is starting to try. The brand fumbled its wholesale strategy by pulling back too much, too fast. Its direct-to-consumer numbers have slipped. According to the latest Q3 earnings report, Nike's 2025 third quarter revenue dropped 9%, with direct revenues down 12% and wholesale revenues down 7% Even the CEO admitted Nike needs to rebuild wholesale relationships, a sign of strategic retreat, not confidence. On Rotation isn't just a retail concept - it's a rehab attempt. Nike is trying to borrow cultural clout from a retailer that still connects with Gen Z. Urban Outfitters might not sell out arenas, but it knows how to fill a For You page. This move could help Nike find its footing again. Or it could prove what younger shoppers already suspect: the Swoosh just isn't that cool anymore. Related: Nike delivers bad news for customers The Arena Media Brands, LLC THESTREET is a registered trademark of TheStreet, Inc.
Fox Sports
21 hours ago
- Sport
- Fox Sports
Joey Urban drives in 5 and Southern Mississippi blasts Miami to force deciding game in Hattiesburg
Associated Press HATTIESBURG, Miss. (AP) — Joey Urban drove in five runs with two homers, Southern Mississippi exploded for nine runs in the first inning and the Golden Eagles went on to defeat Miami 17-6 on Sunday night, forcing a winner-take-all game in the Hattiesburg Regional. The deciding game will take place on Monday. The Golden Eagles (47-15) are looking to reach the super regionals for the third time in the last four seasons. Miami (33-25) is looking for its fifth appearance in the 26 years of the super regional format. After two runs were already in, the Golden Eagles loaded the bases with two out in the first inning. The next three batters drove in runs with singles and Urban's three-run home run capped the outburst. Urban added a two-run home run in the seventh inning and Tucker Stockman's three-run home run in the ninth made it 17-6. Jake Ogden had a two-run double in Miami's four-run fifth inning to make it 10-4 but the Hurricanes managed only an eighth-inning run the rest of the way. Stockman and Carson Paetow drove in three runs each for the Golden Eagles. Ben Higdon and Jake Cook had three hits apiece. Camden Sunstrom (3-0) was the winner with 4 2/3 innings of relief. He allowed one unearned run. Miami starter Tate DeRias (2-3) got two outs and was charged with nine runs. ___ AP college sports: in this topic
Winnipeg Free Press
a day ago
- Sport
- Winnipeg Free Press
Joey Urban drives in 5 and Southern Mississippi blasts Miami to force deciding game in Hattiesburg
HATTIESBURG, Miss. (AP) — Joey Urban drove in five runs with two homers, Southern Mississippi exploded for nine runs in the first inning and the Golden Eagles went on to defeat Miami 17-6 on Sunday night, forcing a winner-take-all game in the Hattiesburg Regional. The deciding game will take place on Monday. The Golden Eagles (47-15) are looking to reach the super regionals for the third time in the last four seasons. Miami (33-25) is looking for its fifth appearance in the 26 years of the super regional format. After two runs were already in, the Golden Eagles loaded the bases with two out in the first inning. The next three batters drove in runs with singles and Urban's three-run home run capped the outburst. Urban added a two-run home run in the seventh inning and Tucker Stockman's three-run home run in the ninth made it 17-6. Jake Ogden had a two-run double in Miami's four-run fifth inning to make it 10-4 but the Hurricanes managed only an eighth-inning run the rest of the way. Stockman and Carson Paetow drove in three runs each for the Golden Eagles. Ben Higdon and Jake Cook had three hits apiece. Camden Sunstrom (3-0) was the winner with 4 2/3 innings of relief. He allowed one unearned run. Miami starter Tate DeRias (2-3) got two outs and was charged with nine runs. ___ AP college sports:
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Market Hangover Beckons for Gen Z Darling Urban Outfitters (URBN)
Urban Outfitters (URBN) is bucking the trend. The retail company that targets younger demographics is posting record revenue and cash generation amid an environment characterized by low consumer confidence. A closer look reveals that the company is making inroads with 'Gen Z,' and it's not just its clothes getting the attention. Easily unpack a company's performance with TipRanks' new KPI Data for smart investment decisions Receive undervalued, market resilient stocks right to your inbox with TipRanks' Smart Value Newsletter However, with its stock up 80% in the last year, I believe the market has fully priced in Urban's renewed potential in a fiercely competitive retail clothing industry. This makes me cautiously neutral on URBN going forward. Earlier this month, Urban Outfitters reported its first-quarter earnings for the period ending April 30, posting record sales and a net income of $108.3 million. A major driver of this growth is Nuuly, the company's rapidly expanding clothing rental brand. Nuuly's revenue surged from $77.9 million in Q1 2024 to $124.4 million in Q1 2025. The concept is both innovative and timely: for $98 per month, customers, primarily women, can rent a curated selection of apparel, mostly from Urban's own brands. They wear the items for a month, then return them—no commitment required. It's essentially an ever-rotating wardrobe, aligning perfectly with Gen Z's preference for sustainable consumption. From a business perspective, Nuuly is a clever play. It introduces a recurring revenue stream into an industry traditionally dependent on one-time purchases. Each garment can generate revenue multiple times before showing signs of wear, dramatically increasing its lifetime value. Additionally, Nuuly provides Urban with real-time data on style preferences and emerging trends—insights that are impossible to glean from conventional retail sales alone. In short, the rental economy is gaining traction in the fashion world, and Nuuly is positioning Urban Outfitters as a frontrunner in this growing space. Nuuly is just one piece of Urban Outfitters' broader strategy to connect with younger consumers. But it's not only the products that appeal to Gen Z—it's the experience. The company has recently doubled down on immersive retail, reimagining its stores as more than just shopping destinations. A standout example is its collaboration with Nike on 'On Rotation,' an initiative that turns retail spaces into rotating, theme-driven discovery hubs. The goal: make each visit feel fresh, engaging, and uniquely memorable. Beyond Nuuly, Urban's other brands are also performing well. Anthropologie and Free People posted roughly 8% growth in the first quarter, while FP Movement—a sub-brand focused on activewear—delivered an impressive 25% growth in its retail segment. These gains are helping to offset stagnation in the core Urban Outfitters brand. That said, Urban's valuation is starting to look a bit stretched. The stock is trading at an all-time high, and its Price-to-Earnings (P/E) ratio of 15.1 sits slightly above the retail sector median. While macroeconomic pressures haven't significantly impacted the business so far, Urban remains exposed to broader risks like inflation, geopolitical trade tensions, and weak consumer sentiment. If economic conditions deteriorate, discretionary spending—especially on non-essential services like a Nuuly subscription—could be among the first to go. However, the elephant in the room is competition. URBN is caught between fast-fashion heavyweights like Shein and H&M, who offer similar styles at lower prices, and premium brands at the higher end of the market. That leaves Urban targeting a price-sensitive Gen Z audience that's accustomed to affordability without sacrificing style. Meanwhile, the company's turnaround efforts are still in the early stages. Revitalizing its core Urban Outfitters brand and scaling Nuuly profitably will be critical. Any misstep in execution could weigh heavily on the stock. On Wall Street, URBN sports a Moderate Buy consensus rating based on five Buy, six Hold, and one Sell ratings in the past three months. URBN's average price target of $70.50 implies a downside potential of 3% in the next twelve months. Earlier this month, Bank of America Securities analyst Lorraine Hutchinson rated URBN a Buy with a price target of $80. She highlighted international expansion and Nuuly as key growth opportunities. Moreover, 'Anthropologie and Free People continue to see strong sales growth, with Anthropologie benefiting from increased store and online traffic and Free People expanding through new store openings.' Urban's recent financial performance marks the early stages of a promising turnaround. The company is making meaningful progress with its target demographic, thanks in large part to innovative offerings like Nuuly. This subscription-based model has opened a valuable new revenue stream while positioning Urban for long-term growth. And while the Urban Outfitters brand continues to lag, other segments—such as Anthropologie and FP Movement—present encouraging near-term momentum. That said, much of this optimism is already reflected in the stock's price. Valuation reflects high expectations, and several risks could disrupt the company's trajectory. Macroeconomic pressures—ranging from tariffs to shifts in consumer spending—could weigh on both margins and growth. Moreover, fashion is inherently fickle; any of Urban's brands could quickly fall out of favor, much like the namesake label has. All things considered, the most prudent move may be to hold. This isn't the time to chase the rally, but it may also be premature to cash out. 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Yahoo
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Keith Urban's got a new tour, a new show and zero interest in acting
In the nearly 20 years I've been an entertainment reporter, I can count on one finger how many times a celebrity has called me themself — no publicist or agent on the line, no Zoom link setup. Keith Urban changed that one week ago when, as I poured my first cup of coffee, I had the pleasure of picking up the phone to one of country music's biggest stars on the line: "Hey Taryn, it's Keith!" "Mr. Urban! Hi!" I said, surprised. "Oh, definitely call me Keith!" he laughed. "Even my dad hated 'Mr. Urban.' I don't think anyone in the Urban lineage has ever liked 'Mr. Urban.' Sounds way too official!" Urban's breezy, fun and down-to-earth attitude was on display during our 20-minute chat, and he's taking it on the road this summer. Urban kicked off his High and Alive tour on Thursday night in Orange Beach, Ala., eight months after the release of his 11th U.S. studio album, High. And yes, the 57-year-old country music star wants you to feel high and alive — "literally" — when you come and see him. "It sums up the energy that I like to play with. The energy I want to bring, the energy I want everybody to feel. I'm not a sort of sit-down contemplative, pensive kind of artist. I love firing everybody up and bringing everybody together," he told Yahoo Entertainment. "We're high and alive in '25, it's just tailor-made." Urban's had 16 No. 1 Hot Country songs, with hits like "Blue Ain't Your Color," "Long Hot Summer" and "Somebody Like You." Although he's been busy building what he likes to call a "playlist," not a setlist, for his upcoming shows, Urban had a surprising response when asked about his approach to this tour. "It's crazy, I've always been wired to be very — I don't have any sense that I've done anything," Urban said. To be clear, the New Zealand-born Australian singer has accomplished more than most in his three-decade career. He's won four Grammys, 12 Country Music Association Awards (including Entertainer of the Year twice) and 15 Academy of Country Music Awards and has sold out arenas all over the world. The list goes on. Hasn't done anything? I let him explain what he means. "I'm highly aware that I've done a lot of tours and I've made a lot of albums," he laughed. "I get all of that, but I don't think about it. Everything is just very now." Urban said preparing for High and Alive made him realize he's as driven now as he was when he released his self-titled stateside debut album in 1999. "Even when we went down to rehearsals a couple of weeks ago and I had a massive whiteboard on the stage as I was chipping away at shaping a playlist, it felt like my first tour," he explained. It's been three years since Urban last hit the road with his band, and while his 2024 hit song "Messed Up as Me" made the playlist, there are several others he broke out for the first time, including covers of Post Malone and Morgan Wallen's "I Had Some Help," plus Chappell Roan's "Pink Pony Club." He also covered New Radicals' "You Get What You Give" during his encore. Embracing this "blank canvas" feeling means he has no preshow rituals or superstitions. "I got a lot of new band members. It's a new stage, it's a new production, so there's more things new about it than there isn't. I just feel a sense of freshness and excited energy to get out and play and see what works, what doesn't work, what we have to move and shape, and just be in the moment with the audience," he said. "It always feels brand-new to me." While Urban is embracing a "blank canvas" professionally, his personal life is happily colorful. In June, he and his wife, Oscar-winning actress Nicole Kidman, will celebrate their 19th wedding anniversary. Urban gave his family, including daughters Sunday, 16, and Faith, 14, a sweet shout-out earlier this month when he was honored with the Triple Crown Award at the Academy of Country Music Awards. Urban considers himself a family man, which is something his fans deeply connect with. Being away from home and on the road, though, is something he and Kidman are used to. When asked if they have any two-week rule, or they have a maximum amount of time they can go without seeing each other, Urban said no. "I've never believed in rules," he said. "It's gotta be a want, you know? And I don't want to be away from my family for too long, so I don't need a rule. I'm really lucky that I get to tour the way I do, which is kind of three shows in a row, and then three to four days off. Then three shows in a row. It's pretty rare to even be gone for two weeks. It's fortuitous where Nashville is [located] in that it's a fairly decent flying time to a lot of places." Urban thrives on connecting with his audiences to take them on an unforgettable ride. Part of the reason he has such a passionate fan base isn't just because of the songs themselves, but because of his songwriting, which touches on themes like love, loss and redemption. His self-reflective lyrics typically mirror where he's at in his phase of life. "I think I've gone from writing about things I'd like to experience to being able to write from experience," he explained when I asked how his songwriting has evolved. "A lot of my early songs were imagining what it would be like to have a particular feeling, to be a particular person because I wasn't that person but wanted to be," he continued. "These songs probably just have more depth to them. And there's just more things to write about. It doesn't have to be family, it's just experience. It's losing parents. It's friends who have been in your life for a long time. Moving. Things changing in life. New seasons. Chapters coming to a close, and new ones opening that are equally as exciting, if not more so." Urban categorizes his current chapter as "unfolding." Given all he has on his plate in 2025, that seems fitting. This fall, Urban will headline the new country music competition series The Road on CBS. Unlike other singing competition shows, this one puts aspiring singers straight on tour, as contestants will join Urban onstage this summer and trade off opening for him. The series, which doesn't have a premiere date as of yet, is executive produced by Blake Shelton and Yellowstone co-creator Taylor Sheridan. This isn't Urban's first stint on reality television: He was a judge on American Idol from 2013 to 2016 and on the inaugural season of Australia's The Voice in 2011. When asked if he's taking any learnings, good or bad, from those experiences to The Road, he said it's wildly different. "I don't know if I took any specific things from those other shows other than — because this show is not really, not like those in so many ways," he explained. "It's quite extraordinary what Blake and Taylor envisioned for this thing. To put it back into this real-world environment — being in clubs where you don't have hair, glam, a stylist and all this noise and nonsense. You've got your talent, your drive, your ambition and you've got a stage and a house band. You've got two songs, one original and one cover, and you've gotta grab this audience that hasn't come to see you. This audience has come to see me play at the end of the night, and you gotta grab 'em." Urban said the "do or die" feeling is really what it's like when you start out in the music industry. "I came from another country. Having the odds stacked against you is something I've spent my life having to continue working through," he added. "I'm not comparing my journey to anybody else's. It's just aspiring to be the best you can always be, staying curious, passionate, hungry and never giving up. Staying the course is always key, and in the end, I think it works." Urban also had a blast working with Shelton, who he called a "unique guy." "I love being around his energy. He's just funny," he said. As for Sheridan, who is known for creating the Yellowstone universe, Urban admires his talent — but has no interest in throwing on a pair of ranching boots. "Absolutely not," Urban said. "I've never had any interest in acting. I just bought a studio here in Nashville because that's my passion. I don't have any hobbies. I just love playing music. I love being in the studio. I love creating, I love recording." For what it's worth, there's zero pressure from his wife to get on set. Kidman recently said in an interview that she and Urban have no desire to work together. ("We're together in life, so we don't need to do our show together," she told People. "Our life is a show.") "I've been on enough sets now to know that that's absolutely not anything I ever want to do," Urban laughed. "It's not for me!" Right now, it's curiosity in the studio that's fueling the artist. "That's literally what powers me forward and drives me and has always driven me, is curiosity about writing songs, playing, putting on a show, connecting with an audience," he said. "I don't know if you can cook, but I can't cook," Urban continued, "but I realize that's what I do in my head. I hear ingredients, and I imagine what those things together might taste like to my ears. Having a studio now gives me the chance to really explore those kinds of opportunities to blend things that I hear and see what goes together. ... I'm constantly curious to explore musical art, which [is what] my life is."
