VF says Vans DTC sales rose for first time in five years

· Retail & E-commerce · United States

VF Corp. told investors that Vans' global direct-to-consumer sales grew for the first time in five years, a sign its long-running turnaround at the skater brand may be gaining traction. The company is also leaning on its smaller Altra running brand, whose footwear revenue rose 40% in the second quarter and is on pace to offset continued declines at Vans. VF has spent years trying to stabilize Vans, which had weighed on group results as its wholesale and DTC momentum faded. The DTC uptick gives Wall Street a concrete data point that the brand's reset is working, while the rapid growth of Altra, still a small part of the portfolio, provides a second engine for the footwear business.

Why it matters：Vans is one of the largest action-sports footwear brands globally, so its DTC stabilization is a test case for whether legacy wholesale-heavy brands can rebuild growth through owned channels.

Key points

  • Vans DTC sales grew globally for the first time in five years.
  • Altra footwear revenue rose 40% in Q2 and could offset Vans declines.
  • Wall Street read the update as a sign VF's turnaround is progressing.

Sources (original reporting)

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