Running Insight

4 runninginsight.com © 2018 Formula4media LLC. RUNNING INSIGHT Quickening the Pace (continued) A statue of store founder John Kel- ley, former Boston marathon champ. Kelley's Pace owner Jeff Anderson with running legend Meb Keflezighi. ElliptiGOs are part of the new product mix at Kelley's Pace. Taking the reins Former Boston Marathon champion and U.S. Olympian John Kelley founded Kelley's Pace in 1980. Kelley and his wife, Jessie, ran the 960-square foot running shop until selling it in the mid-1990s to Mary Camire, owner of Camire's Athletic Soles in Wakefield, RI. Throughout much of its history, Kelley's Pace served as the region's unofficial running headquar- ters, catering to a vibrant running populace whose residents included Kelley as well as fellow Boston Marathon champion – and longtime Runner's World editor – Amby Burfoot. From its spot in Olde Mistick Village, a lively commercial enclave designed to look like a 19th century New England village, Kelley's Pace outfitted the community's daily joggers and walkers, competitive prep athletes and tourists to the seaside community. After earning his MBA in early 2014, Anderson realized he had little interest in a "traditional job" and hungered for something different. "It was time to venture off and I always wanted to own a store," Anderson says. At a Kelley's Pace fun run in July, Anderson won- dered what it might be like to oversee his town's heritage running shop. Those thoughts ignited a whirlwind adventure for the father of four. By August, Anderson was in deep conversations with Camire. By September, the two finalized terms. On October 1, Anderson assumed ownership of Kelley's Pace. "I enjoyed the sport and the opportunity was there," Anderson says of purchasing Kelley's Pace. "But there was a moment of weakness there, too." Anderson sensed Kelley's Pace, a store rich in his- tory, but relatively poor in execution, had the potential to improve its performance. The store, which had no direct run specialty competition for about 30 miles, was consumed by old product and remained a pen- and-paper operation with no inventory system. "The store had been sound asleep for many years," Anderson says. What Kelley's Pace had, however, was a treasured local hero's name and more than three decades in the same spot. Around his first Thanksgiving as owner, Anderson recalls a number of out-of-town customers venturing into the store to purchase running shoes. Many were returning to the area to visit family and stopped into Kelley's Pace, a habitual act many had practiced since their teen years. "Locally, everyone knew where it was and what it was," Anderson says. "Honestly, my greatest fear was ruining that." Crafting a renaissance Walking into Kelley's Pace as its new owner, Anderson admits he felt overwhelmed. He had to learn about biomechanics and products, managing people and vendor relationships and leading a retail operation that was, to Anderson's surprise, a 24/7 endeavor. "I had no idea what I didn't know until I got here," says Anderson, whose "significant learning curve" was eased by a longtime Kelley's Pace employee who stayed on for nine months and taught Anderson all that he knew. Slowly, however, Anderson began making changes. Having only acquired part of the store's existing inventory in the deal with Camire, Anderson fur- ther reduced inventory by purchasing less, carefully monitoring products that sold and those that lingered. That attentiveness liberated the showroom from its cluttered, discount-store look and allowed Anderson's curated selection of goods to shine. "Buying less to sell more," Anderson calls it. Anderson also replaced fixtures to better display product and reevaluated the store's pricing strategy, installing MSRP after years of everyone receiving the "Kelley Discount." Most importantly, Anderson says, he went deeper into community outreach and doubled down on the detailed personal service customers expect at their local running shop. He launched a Thursday night fun run that con- cluded with a free beer at the nearby Jealous Monk Social Hall & Beer Garden as well as a year-round Saturday morning running group. Anderson then resurrected a pair of deceased races – the Frostbite 5 Miler in January and the Hare Hop 5k in March. "This community was hungry for a more active and involved running store," Anderson says. Anderson also insisted staff – he has two regular associates alongside him – measured and looked at each customer's feet, including having them walk down a well-worn pathway on the store's hardwood floor. Despite a recent onslaught of technological options, Anderson continues resisting any techno- Attentiveness allows Anderson's curated selection of goods to shine at Kelley's Pace.

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