Footwear Insight

retailer and their importance to their respec- tive roots and communities." Keys to a good brand/retail relationship? "Communication with each retailer individ- ually based on their current circumstances and specific needs." How the brand navigates hot button issues for retailers such as product availability, product pricing and DTC: "We hold MSRP and don't go on sale on our DTC site. We don't want to compete with our indepen- dent retail partners; we want to promote our brands. Rieker sells nothing exclusively. All styles sold in the USA are available to our independent retailers." Milestone Anniversary: Rieker turns 150 years old in 2024. e brand's global 150- year marketing campaign in 2024 will feature the tagline "Focus on What You Love" and product hangtags will celebrate the 150-year legacy of Rieker. BROOKS Product Launch of Note: The recently launched Ghost Max is one of the brand's largest introductions in recent years. It ex- pands on the best-selling Ghost franchise, delivering a maximum cushion experience and enhanced protection to runners and walkers. To support the launch, Brooks has developed initiatives focused on educating and connecting local doctors to retailers to strengthen the connection between the Sports Medicine community, retailers, and Brooks. e importance of independent retail to the brand's strategy: "Our multi-channel strategy is centered on knowing that the runner will shop where they want, and Brooks needs to meet them wherever they are," says Mike Billish, VP North America sales & service, Brooks Running. "Our job is to engage with the best builders of the running community, and the independent retail channel has always been at the heart of that." With the Ghost Max launch, Brooks is using outreach, educational assets and tool- kits, webinars, Doctors Nights in-store, and conferences, to not only engage and educate, but to strengthen the synergies between these partners, says Billish. "We're commu- nicating to the Sports Medicine community that the best place to send patients looking for solutions is their local running store." Keys to a good brand/retail relationship: "Trust and credibility are key to the relation- ship," says Billish. "We've established ourselves as an expert in biomechanics and runner research, so that when a runner visits an in- dependent retailer, our partners can trust that they are providing them with a quality, inno- vative solution that will fit that runner's needs." How the brand is navigating hot button issues for retailers such as product avail- ability, product pricing and DTC: "We're back to a normal cadence, bringing product innovation not only in foams and technologies but also introducing new styles," says Billish. "Supply chain disruptions have mostly abated and we're confident more than ever in our ability to service existing orders and in great opportunities to chase business through at once orders. Our FastTrack B2B site continues to be the center of activity for this, and we are committed to ongoing improvements based on user feedback to make it the easiest tool to manage their Brooks business." OS1ST e importance of independent retail to the brand's strategy: "Supporting independent retailers is the foundational pillar of our brand identity right next to the quality of our prod- ucts and the technology we use to make them stand out; it is our brand strategy," says Josh Higgins, president, OS1st. "You can see that in our mission statement 'to use science-driven compression to improve lives by relieving pain, empowering active lifestyles, and supporting small businesses who do the same.' Most im- portantly, you can see it in action when our independent sales reps visit our independent retailers and take the time to understand their unique needs and create a program that uplis their entire business, not just OS1st." Keys to a good brand/retail relationship: "A mutual trust and respect for each other's business built on our shared goals," says Higgins. "At the end of the day, we want the same thing – the kind of positive health outcomes that can only be born from indi- vidualized foot care. When you start there, everything else becomes common sense." How the brand is navigating hot button issues for retailers such as product avail- ability, product pricing and DTC: "When it comes to navigating the current pressures on the industry, we've made every decision with our independent retailers in mind… One DTC dollar may have more immediate impact on a balance sheet, but on a macro level it's worth less," says Higgins. "A wholesale dollar's value is shared by our brand, the store owner, their staff, and their community, and it's one of the reasons we continue to grow year aer year. Other brands are hitting DTC heavy and making up for it by discounting their products in the store. But we believe that's selling everyone short. For some, that also leads to competition for inventory, but for us, our only availability issues come from retailers buying up product faster than they did before!" One brand, multiple categories: OS1st continues to develop products that make it easy to rely on one brand for high quality, consistent, accessories across multiple cat- egories. All OS1st products carry the same purposeful, intentional designs made with high quality manufacturing and R&D inge- nuity. "It is one of the many reasons OS1st is the fastest growing sock brand in channels like independent running where the brand's product development and business ethos speaks for itself," says Higgins. footwearinsight.com September/October 2023 ~ Footwear Insight • 29

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