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1. Make New Friends, But Keep the Old One bright spot for the run channel has been the increase in people turning to the sport. And whether those runners were new to the run or coming back after time away, their business made a measur- able difference. "We have a higher percentage of new customers than we used to have," said Cody Angell, owner of St. Pete Running Co. in St. Petersburg, Florida. "This setback has placed people's personal health and fitness in focus, and a lot aren't comfortable going to the gym, so they've started running." To keep new faces flowing in, he said, the store would be starting a referral contest next month, where a new runner or walker who comes in to buy shoes is worth a $20 store gift card to the person making the referral. "What we see is either that runner that is just new to the sport or a cur- rent runner who wants to expand out," Jeff Metzdorff, owner of Mill City Running in Minneapolis, MN, confirmed. "Our client had typically been a road runner, who ran mostly around the city here. But we're starting to see customers coming in and saying I want to get out of my apartment and head outside." Helping those runners expand their horizons is the plan for 2021, Metzdorff said. "If they're saying, 'I want to run at the state park and have another arrow in my quiver,' we can talk hydration and backpacks." Five Big Opportunities Run Specialty Shops See in 2021 Comeback RETAIL THE By Jennifer Ernst Beaudry After a rollercoaster of a year, retailers planning for 2021 face a daunting challenge. After unprecedented business challenges and new hurdles to navigate seemingly daily, there's no roadmap for envisioning the shape of the year to follow. The good news: Run shops see opportunity ahead. We spoke to running independents across the country about what they're planning for 2021 and what's in the playbook smart stores are crafting for next year.. The new normal at Mill City Running in Minneapolis. 6 • November 2020 sportstyle • sportstylemag.com

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