Contact:Scott Denne
As technology vendors intrude on a broad set of markets, companies from outside the tech industry are searching for assets to fend off the challenge. Under Armour was an early mover in that trend, but its continued decline this year shows that tech M&A isn’t an adequate defense.
In 2015, the athletic apparel company paid more than $500m to acquire three different health and fitness app providers – MyFitnessPal, Endomondo and Gritness. According to 451 Research’s M&A KnowledgeBase, non-tech buyers made $20.6bn in tech deals that year, an active, but not record, year that set the stage for 2016 and 2017, where companies outside of tech have spent $55.5bn and $48.1bn on tech M&A.
Under Armour said its acquisitions would enable it to find new ways to connect with customers and build brand equity. While it may have realized some of those benefits, it wasn’t enough to prevent an overall collapse of its growth rate as its wholesale channel got squeezed by retail closures and bankruptcies. The company’s third-quarter sales declined 5%, sending the stock down by one-quarter, part of a 58% retreat since the start of the year.
Its purchases haven’t helped much either. Revenue from those 2015 deals (plus a similar acquisition from 2013) generated just $65m through the first three quarters, up 5% from a year ago. That’s not to say that it shouldn’t have bought those businesses. Under Armour’s direct-to-consumer sales (roughly one-third of its revenue, encompassing its branded stores and online sales) are expanding this year and having a direct line to consumers in the form of owned-and-operated mobile apps likely played some part in that. And those apps could have a larger role in its recovery should Under Armour choose to decrease its reliance on retail partners.
It’s hard to say what the company could have done differently. Without those acquired assets, its decline may well have been steeper. And it can’t be chided for complacency, given the aggressive prices it paid – in total tech M&A it spent over $700m for assets that today, almost three years after its largest purchases, generate less than $100m in annual revenue. When it comes to retail, Under Armour’s woes suggest that tech acquisitions won’t shield a business from a transformation in consumer behavior.
For more real-time information on tech M&A, follow us on Twitter @451TechMnA.