The gross margin expanded to 47.3 per cent and diluted earnings per share more than doubled to $1.14 from $0.55.

Wolverine Worldwide has reported revenue of $1.874 billion in 2025, up 6.8 per cent, led by Active Group growth and strong Saucony performance.
Margins and earnings improved, while cash rose and debt declined.
Fourth-quarter revenue increased 4.6 per cent.
CEO Hufnagel highlighted brand momentum and transformation progress.
The company expects 2026 revenue growth with steady margins.

The company strengthened its balance sheet during the year, ending with cash of $206 million, up 35.6 per cent, and net debt reduced 16.2 per cent to $415 million. Inventory increased 10.7 per cent to $274 million, Wolverine Worldwide said in a press release.

The fourth quarter (Q4) revenue rose 4.6 per cent YoY to $517.5 million, supported by strong Active Group growth, particularly Saucony and Merrell. Active Group revenue increased 12.4 per cent to $372.7 million, while Work Group declined 11.3 per cent to $134 million. Gross margin improved to 47 per cent from 43.6 per cent, reflecting product cost savings, favourable mix and price increases, partly offset by higher US tariffs. Diluted earnings per share climbed to $0.38 from $0.28.

“We exceeded our expectations across all key metrics in the fourth quarter, finishing a solid year for the Company. Our biggest brands are growing around the world, direct-to-consumer (DTC) continues to improve, earnings per share increased meaningfully YoY, and I believe we’re finding our footing where we’ve underperformed,” said Chris Hufnagel, president and chief executive officer of Wolverine Worldwide. “I am pleased with our progress in transforming the company and encouraged by the momentum we have carried into 2026. We’re focused squarely on executing our brand-building model with pace and distinction—building awesome products, telling amazing stories, and driving the business each day.”

Looking ahead, Wolverine Worldwide expects fiscal 2026 revenue of $1.96-1.985 billion, representing growth of 4.6-5.9 per cent YoY. The company anticipates gross margin of about 46 per cent, operating margin of roughly 8.8 per cent and diluted earnings per share between $1.31 and $1.46, signalling continued but measured expansion as brand-driven strategy execution progresses, added the release.

Fibre2Fashion News Desk (SG)

The report, ‘Breaking Point: Heat and the Garment Floor’, by Tata Institute of Social Sciences and HeatWatch, documents widespread heat stress and major gaps in workplace protections across factories in Tamil Nadu, Delhi-NCR and Gujarat. Based on surveys of 115 workers and 47 in-depth interviews, along with factory case studies, the study highlights how extreme heat combines with production pressure and gendered workplace dynamics to intensify risks.

Severe heat stress and weak protections plagued India’s garment factories, employing 45 million people, mostly women, a new report found.
It urged legal recognition of heat stress as an occupational risk, stronger labour rights, enforceable safety standards and infrastructure upgrades such as ventilation, cooling and medical access to protect workers’ health, productivity and incomes.

Survey findings reveal limited access to basic protections. Over 36 per cent of workers reported irregular or unclean drinking water, 78 per cent struggled to access toilets, and 80 per cent said their workstations lacked air movement. Nearly 88 per cent felt completely drained during peak summer months, while 87 per cent reported heat-related ailments such as headaches, dizziness and muscle cramps in the past year.

Women workers reported acute impacts, with 96.8 per cent experiencing burning sensations during urination and 92.6 per cent reporting menstrual disruptions linked to heat and production pressure.

Factory assessments across 15 surveyed units across different states showed 60 per cent lacked on-site medical facilities, 73.3 per cent had metal or asbestos roofs, and nearly half did not monitor temperature or humidity. In some cases, monitoring devices were installed only during buyer inspections.

The report warns that extreme heat is not merely seasonal discomfort but a structural labour and public health issue. It calls for legal recognition of heat stress as an occupational disease, expanded social protection, mandatory work-rest cycles, infrastructure upgrades and stronger worker participation in safety decisions.

With India projected to lose 35 million jobs and 4.5 per cent of GDP by 2030 due to heat stress, the study urges urgent structural reforms to protect one of the country’s largest employment sectors.

Fibre2Fashion News Desk (CG)

Without seasonal adjustment, this number dropped by 369,000, or 0.8 per cent MoM, with the decrease being a usual seasonal phenomenon.

The seasonally-adjusted number of employed in Germany fell by 14,000 month on month (MoM) in January to 45.5 million, provisional data show.
This number was down by 0.2 per cent YoY in the month.
Around 1.86 million were unemployed in January—a rise of 11.7 per cent YoY.
The unemployment rate rose to 4.2 per cent—a rise of 0.5 pp YoY.
The number of unemployed, at 1.75 million, rose by 0.4 per cent MoM.

In the period from May to December 2025, the number was down by an average of 12,000 MoM.

The number of employed in January 2026 was down by 88,000, or 0.2 per cent, year on year (YoY).

The downward trend in the YoY labour market figures, observed since August 2025, continued, a Destatis release said.

According to the Destatis Labour Force Survey, 1.86 million were unemployed in January 2026—an increase of 195,000, or 11.7 per cent, YoY. The unemployment rate rose to 4.2 per cent—an increase of 0.5 percentage point (pp) YoY.

Adjusted for seasonal and irregular effects, the number of unemployed in January stood at 1.75 million—a MoM increase of 6,000, or 0.4 per cent. The adjusted unemployment rate remained unchanged at 4 per cent.

Fibre2Fashion News Desk (DS)