Mill City Running, Minneapolis, MN.
W
ith 2024 fast approaching,
we reached out to specialty
running retailers across the
country for input on their
business challenges over the
past year, what products, categories or
brands they are excited about bringing
in, and what their personal hopes are for
the running industry in the year ahead.
At the same time, we examined responses
to the latest Running Industry Association
Retailer Survey to get a handle on key
industry trends.
e direct-to-consumer (DTC) strategies
of running shoe brands emerged as a
key issue in both the RIA survey and in
our conversations with retailers. Some
48 percent of respondents to the RIA's
questions said they take a brand's DTC
policy into account but that it does not
change how much product is ordered
from the brand. Another 32 percent of
respondents told the trade group they sell
products no matter what brands do in the
DTC channel while 18 percent admitted
that every brand's DTC policy is considered
during the assortment planning process.
Trey Vernon, owner of the Manhattan
(KS) Running Company, Nicholas Stanko
from the Ann Arbor Running Company,
and Justin Craig from RUNdetroit, shared
their thoughts on the DTC issue with us.
"One hope that I haven't let go of yet is
that one day all run specialty brands will
decide to only sell products for full price
online," opined Stanko. "DTC is here to stay
SHOP
TALK
RETAIL
12 runstyle Fall 2023 runstylemag.com
RUN RETAIL'S DTC CHALLENGES AND 2024 OPPORTUNITIES. BY BOB MCGEE
