Issue link: https://viewer.e-digitaledition.com/i/1484285
sportstylemag.com • sportstyle November/December 2022 • 27
positive on business.
"I hear that we're going to go from famine to
feast (in terms of inventory), but it could be a great
opportunity to reach those customers who only
buy shoes on sale," she said. "Having more 'sale
shoes' may also encourage people to replace their
shoes more oen since the one thing we have seen
since prices have gone up — customers tend to
wait longer to replace their shoes."
Trey Vernon at the Manhattan Running
Company in Manhattan, KS insists it's vital for
run specialists to "stay on top of the massive wave
of discounts that are happening…to make sure
we can still keep our margins up."
Idaho Running's Rusher admits her store's
strategy for inventory planning, delayed shipments
and excess product remains "a work in progress
at the moment."
Potomac River's Pugsley believes running shoe
distribution has made much progress over the
last 3 to 5 years. "With strong MAP policies and
fewer rogue sellers, we (run specialists) don't have
to play the 'price match' game as much as we did
in the past," he offers, adding, "I hope vendors
are smart and get creative with end-of-model
solutions that don't focus on deep discounting."
Optimism in 2023 for Seven Hills Running
Shop in Seattle centers on "the big disruption
in supply chain" finally being over with "life at
the shop finally resembling pre-pandemic days."
Staffing
It remains the most persistent, difficult to rectify
challenge facing run specialty retailers today.
"Not only are we constantly short-staffed,
which affects the customer experience in-store,
but our turnover is the highest it has ever been,"
admitted Potomac River's Pugsley. "So, we need
to be very diligent with training. To make sure
our staff is functioning at a high level, we have
had to increase the number of people classified
as 'trainers,' which means having a primary focus
on training new employees.
Adds Blozy at Fleet Feet with a bit of sarcasm
and worry, "e issue (staffing) is compounded
by customers being much more demanding and
extra particular — especially when there is a full
moon and Mercury in retrograde. We continue to
do more with less, but I worry about staff burnout."
e Complete Runner's Brown notes that finding
qualified candidates that want to work is one of
his business's biggest challenges, adding, "It has
become increasingly difficult to find associates
that are enthusiastic about run specialty and/or
customer service."
What's Hot?
It appears to depend on where your run specialty
shop is located and, in some instances, what
brands and products were available amidst all
the supply chain hiccups.
While Diadora and Altra have had solid success
inside e Complete Runner, Fleet Feet Hartford
cites Oofos and Goodr as having "stellar" years for
its business that is also now "dabbling" in pickleball
shoes from Diadora and Asics.
"And we look forward to 'Cra Season' as we call
winter here in Connecticut," asserts Steph Blozy.
"It's our goal that every runner get a Cra base
layer and hybrid glove for the holidays."
Further south in Maryland, Charm City's
Mansfield says more of its customers are requesting
Hoka and On styles, with the brands generating new
store traffic with the appeal trending younger and
through doctor referrals. In the apparel segment,
the eight-door chain is investing more in its Sky9
private label as demand for lululemon and Vuori
has risen, and apparel brand Tavi Noir has gained
"gained decent traction" with its female clientele.
On the pricing front, Mansfield points out
that there has been "a little bit of pushback,"
or sticker shock if you will, in the sock area as
some brands have increased their per pair price
points by as much as $3.
In Seattle, Seven Hills Running Shop's Phil
Kochik says highly cushioned trail running SKUs,
led by styles from Hoka, are in high demand
although other run brands are "catching up" in
the segment. The business, which has been a
longtime fan of the Topo brand due to its wide
range of fitting and cushioning options, is "taking
chances" on new brands such as Nnormal and
Cra and is okay with moving on from brands not
performing well in its store. Kochik says surprise
"slow movers" in the trail run segment at his shop
have been Salomon, La Sportiva and Scarpa.
Keeping a Positive Attitude
Always leaning into the ebbs and flows of the
business and maintaining a positive attitude for
staff and customers despite macroeconomic,
supply chain, staffing or other nagging issues
are vital keys to success in run specialty retail.
"Sure, there's a lot of economic fear out there,"
suggests Charm City's Mansfield. "But the specialty
business is somewhat insulated from its impacts.
We've seen some of this before."
Adds Fleet Feet's Blozy, "Some experts say
we're headed toward a major recession but run
specialty stores have always bucked that trend
and are fairly recession-proof. Life post-pandemic
is anything but predictable, so we all need to be
quick to react…We've seen an uptick in event
participation and engagement within the store,
so I am thinking optimistically: 2023 is going to
be a great year for running retail!" n
Ready to run at Idaho Running Co. Manhattan Running Company in Manhattan, KS.
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10/28/2022
Mike Cosentino
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10/27/2022
Leone Rusher
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Here's a couple pictures. Let me know if you'd like anything different.
Shu_sRunning-53.png
On Thu, Oct 27, 2022 at 3:35 PM Leone Rusher < leone@idahorunningcompany.com> wrote:
HI Bob - Let me know if you have any questions about what I have below. Thank you for this opportunity.
Questions What would you say is the biggest challenge (or challenges) you are facing in your retail …
… to each individual runner's needs. On Fri, Oct 14, 2022 at 8:55 AM Bob McGee