Yeti has opened its first flagship store in Europe in Munich, Germany. Spanning 150 square meters (1,600 square feet), the store is at Georg-Kronawitter-Platz 2 in downtown Munich. In a statement, Yeti said, “The location was deliberately chosen. Munich combines urban sophistication, a strong commitment to quality, and immediate proximity to nature – from the Isar River to the high mountains. This makes the city the ideal environment for Yeti, whose products not only impress with their design but are primarily engineered for intensive use.”

China’s Xtep International Holdings, Ltd. has opened its first stand-alone Saucony store in Hong Kong, with more stores are planned for the region. Xtep acquired full ownership of the Saucony brand and intellectual property rights across Mainland China, Hong Kong and Macau in early 2024. Xtep and Saucony’s parent company, Wolverine Worldwide, initially formed a joint venture in 2019 to expand the brand in the region. It holds similar rights to Merrell, also owned by Saucony’s parent, Wolverine Worldwide.

Australian activewear cult brand Stax has been placed into receivership by the National Australia Bank, with FTI Consulting appointed as managers to reassess operations and recover amounts owed to creditors. Founded in Perth by Don Robertson and his wife Matilda in 2015, Stax built a following through collaborations with local influencers and the fitness community as well as celebrity endorsements, including Jennifer Lopez, Lizzo, Hailey Bieber, Ashley Graham, Rita Ora, and Addison Rae.

S&P Global Ratings raised the debt ratings of  Life Time Inc. as the fitness club operator continues to deliver strong EBITDA growth and reduce debt leverage due to healthy demand and membership trends. S&P also expects the company will increase revenue 10 percent-12 percent, in line with management’s guidance for 2026. The rating agency expects Life Time will adhere to its net leverage target of 2x or less, translating to S&P Global Ratings-adjusted leverage at or below its 3.75x threshold. S&P saidraised all of its ratings on Life Time, including its issuer credit rating to ‘BB’ from ‘BB-’ and issue-level…

One LDN, a U.K.-based gym brand that has a partnership with Nike, is opening its first-ever funding round to fuel its expansion plans across London. The operator is looking to raise funds for two new locations in London to meet growing demand among the consistent and loyal membership base it’s cultivated. The round also marks the first opportunity for external partners to invest early.

Crunch Fitness has appointed Chequan Lewis as chief executive officer, effective immediately, succeeding Jim Rowley, who has transitioned to executive chairman of the high-value, low-price fitness operator. The move comes roughly 14 months after Crunch received a strategic investment from Leonard Green & Partners, a private equity firm that acquired a majority stake from TPG Growth and Crunch’s minority shareholders in a deal that reportedly valued Crunch at over $1.5 billion, including debt. Lewis, a Howard University and Harvard Law School graduate who joined Crunch in 2024 as president, steps into the top role after helping drive the company’s growth…

Planet Fitness, Inc. appointed Sudhanshu Priyadarshi as chief financial officer and president, international, effective immediately. Most recently, Priyadarshi served as CFO and president, International, of Keurig Dr. Pepper, and previously served as Vista Outdoor’s CFO. At Keurig Dr. Pepper, he co-led the development of the company’s enterprise-wide strategic plan and led its global finance, IT and international operating organization, according to Planet Fitness.

Club Pilates is still on an expansion tear, signing a new 70-unit deal with entrepreneur and developer Saber Ammori and the newly formed Renew Fitness franchise group to operate and grow existing and future locations. Ammori, who currently owns and operates 14 Club Pilates locations in the New York City area, has united with Cohere Capital to create the group, now making Renew Fitness one of the boutique brand’s largest multi-unit franchisees, with 84 potential studios. Target markets include Michigan, Maryland and New York, where Renew Fitness is planning to acquire and develop studios as part of the deal. “The…

Playlist, the parent company of Mindbody, ClassPass, Booker, EGYM and Kite, has named Palantir Technologies chief financial officer David Glazer to its board of directors, roughly two months after Playlist closed its $7.5 billion merger with fitness tech firm EGYM. The deal brought ClassPass and Mindbody’s software together with EGYM’s smart strength training equipment under what the company calls the world’s largest full-stack fitness and wellness operating system. It also included $785 million in new equity funding led by Affinity Partners, with participation from Vista Equity Partners, Temasek and L Catterton. Playlist CEO and co-founder Fritz Lanman appeared on stage…

Pulse Fitness, the UK-based equipment manufacturer, announced several additions to its U.S. team to accelerate expansion in the region. Leading the U.S. expansion is Jamie Burton, (pictured right) president, Pulse Fitness USA, and global development, who will oversee strategic growth initiatives, international partnerships, and market development.He has been country general manager for the U.S. region since January 2024. He formerly worked for Chisel Fit, New Level UK Limited and Johnson Health Tech UK.

British fitness equipment manufacturer Pulse Fitness has announced its official entry into the U.S. commercial fitness equipment market, appointing Jamie Burton as President of U.S. and Global Development to lead a core team that includes Chief Revenue Officer Mike Kelly, Sales Director Andrew Graham, and Vice President of Operations Ed Kurzontkowski. Pulse Fitness differentiates itself through “inclusive fitness,” offering equipment designed to accommodate people with varying levels of mobility, including low-impact treadmills, ellipticals, upright/recumbent exercise bikes, and adjustable step platforms. The brand has already installed equipment at venues such as Third Space Wimbledon, a high-end fitness club in London, and…

The first day of the Athletech News Innovation Summit 2026 was held in New York, covering 16 topics including investment, recovery science, strength-training innovation, and the commercialization of longevity. Key signals: ① Investment trends — Pilates and HVLP gyms are the most favored by capital; 2025 is a catalyst year for major brand deals (multi-billion-dollar Crunch/EoS transactions), 2026 is expected to be a period of “slight reset,” and deal flow is projected to recover in 2027; ② The Recovery 2.0 era — the field is moving from single-method approaches (such as cold-water baths) to a personalized, data-driven stage; ③ Peloton…