Running Insight 11.1.17

reGister Now!

tHe ruNNiNG eveNt 2017

tHe coNfereNce & trADe sHow for ruNNiNG retAilers

November 28- December 1, 2017 AustiN coNveNtioN ceNter The Running Event 2017 will bring together the entire running industry with engaging speakers, 4 days of networking, and over 250 exhibitors.

Exhibitor & Sponsorship Information: Troy Leonard: tleonard@formula4media.com / 352-624-1561

THE NEWSMAGAZINE FOR RUNNING SPECIALTY RETAILERS / RUNNINGINSIGHT.COM

Taking Service from the Military to the Retail Store. See Page 8

KICKING INTO ACTION NEW RETAIL CONCEPTS

FACING THE PRESENT & FUTURE AT TRE

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T P E C N O C WHAT A Sung Partners on New Boulder Store; Janji and On collaborate with Runner’s Mind on a Holiday Pop-Up Store.

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en Sung, one of the principals in Gazelle Sports, is a partner in Go Far, a new store that is opening in Boulder on November 1.

Sung describes Go Far as a “collaborative space,” rather than a traditional retail store. And the store has many collaborators. Kate King, a former Gazelle staffer, will be the operating partner. Smartwool will be the primary apparel brand carried in the store. Superfeet will set up a fit station within the store. Scratch Labs will run a test kitchen in the space and a local artist has created a line of hats that will be sold in the store.

The store will also host Happy Hours and other events that Sung says are designed to bring the community

Kate King

RUNNING INSIGHT® is a registered trademark of Formula4Media, LLC. © 2017 all rights reserved.

Running Insight is published twice each month, is edited for owners and top executives at running specialty stores and available only via email.The opinions by authors and contributors to Running Insight are not necessarily those of the editors or publishers. Articles appearing in Running Insight may not be reproduced in whole or in part without the express permission of the publisher. Formula4Media, LLC, P.O. Box 23-1318, Great Neck, NY 11023. Tel: 516-305-4709.

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What A Concept! (continued)

Go Far will carry most major running shoe brands in its 2,400 square-foot space.

The store’s primary apparel brand is Smartwool.

together. “We want to collaborate not just with vendors and suppliers, but with local businesses and artists in the Boulder community,” Sung told Running Insight. (Go Far is incorporated as a Colorado company).

With Go Far, which takes its name from the Smartwool slogan “Go far. Feel good,” Sung and King plan to shake up many traditional specialty retail concepts. “Retailers have to change the way we do things,” Sung said.

“I look and see how stores carry certain products in an effort to make all their customers happy. And that really puts a strain on inventory levels and staff training and doesn’t result in a great retail experience.”

“Our goal is to make 75 percent of everyone who comes into the store ‘really’ happy,” said Sung. “And we believe that transactions will come if we create the right experience for the shoppers.”

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Sung was initially inspired to open the store after talking to executives at Smartwool, who were looking to open a branded concept store. Sung and King started looking at space in Denver a year ago before settling on the current spot in Boulder. “This town has a great retail environment and a community that should support what we are trying to do.”

Smartwool is known for its Merino product and Sung says Go Far will try and establish the apparel and hosiery brand as a 12-months a year resource for consumers. He also hopes that “Smartwool consumers will discover Superfeet and Superfeet shoppers will discover Smartwool and our other brands.”

Go Far will carry most major running shoe brands in its 2,400 square-foot space, which Sung and King intend to keep clean and uncluttered. “We want it to be clean, concise and easy to shop.”

© 2017 Formula4media LLC.

THE #DarnTough

RUNNING SERIES

What A Concept! (continued)

A Runner’s Mind has partnered with Janji and On in a new pop-up shop.

Janji and On Partner with A Runner’s Mind for Running Holiday Pop-Up On October 20, Janji, On and A Runner’s Mind joined forces to open a new running store concept designed around connecting consumers to two of the store’s fastest growing running brands.

The pop-up is on 2425 California Street in San Francisco, about a mile from A Runner’s Mind’s store on Sacramento Street, and will stay open until December 31st of this year.

Monte Keleher, Founder and co-owner of A Runner’s Mind said the idea is to provide Bay Area runners with “exclusive product and an innovative customer experience.”

“We will engage the local community through weekly runs, events, and parties,” he said. “Janji and On are brands that both ‘tell a story’ and offer high-quality products, two characteristics that are rare to find in the industry these days.”

The 900 square-foot store will be open Thursday through Sunday and will highlight the entire On footwear collection, as well as Janji’s fall Nepal-themed apparel line. The store will also hold multiple community events a week, such as Janji’s Nomadic 6

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Run Crew—which takes athletes to hidden murals across the city—and weekly yoga and hosted group runs.

“For the past few years, running specialty stores have been competing against, rather than with, brands,” said Mike Burnstein, a co-founder of Janji who heads up retail. “We wanted to change that. We sought to partner with a fantastic running store to expand Janji’s brand reach in an amazing market, all while taking advantage of the incredible personnel that makes A Runner’s Mind one of the best running stores in the business.”

Burnstein said the goal is to build increased awareness for both of the brands and create demand, long after the pop-up store closes.

“Providing a space for runners to immerse themselves in a new experience to celebrate the spirit of running was a key driver in bringing this concept to life,” said Britt Olsen, On’s North American director of marketing. “A Runner’s Mind is no doubt on the cutting edge of specialty retail and we’re very much looking forward to working with them and Janji to share our story and connect with the active-lifestyle community in San Francisco.” n

© 2017 Formula4media LLC.

IN THE LONG RUN

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Taking Service from the Military to the Retail Store In honor of Veterans Day on November 11, an annual holiday honoring America’s veterans for their patriotism, love of country and willingness to serve and sacrifice for the common good, Running Insight recognizes a few military veterans amid the running specialty ranks, principally those who have made the transition from military life to running store owner.

Lou Guzman / U.S. Army Fleet Feet Runner’s Spot in Fayetteville, NC

Store owner and Army veteran Lou Guzman

By Daniel P. Smith 8

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At age 44, Lou Guzman retired from the U.S. Army in November 2015.

Months before, however, Guzman began activating his post-military life when he opened The Runner’s Spot in Fayetteville, a community of some 205,000 near Fort Bragg. He spent nearly two years doing research and market analysis before jumping into store ownership with his wife, Katrina.

“I had a passion for running and there was a market opportunity in Fayetteville, which didn’t have any running store nearby,” Guzman says. “I wanted to build something for myself and my community.”

Throughout the process, Guzman has consistently leveraged his military experience.

The Army’s five-paragraph operations order – a brief missive designed to communicate key information, including the situation, mission and execution – informed his business plan while skills and values he honed over his military career, including dedication to duty and selfless service, have proven invaluable in the customer-facing retail environment.

“Honestly, everything I learned over 24 years in the military could be translated into civilian life and I’m grateful for the military and the opportunities it afforded me,” says Guzman, who converted his 1,800-square foot shop into a Fleet Feet franchise earlier this year.

© 2017 Formula4media LLC.

FEEL THE

F LO AT R I D E

U LT I M AT E C U S H I O N I N G U LT I M AT E R E S P O N S I V E N E S S R E E B O K . C O M / F LO AT R I D E

© 2017 Reebok International Limited. All Rights Reserved. REEBOK is a registered trademark of Reebok International Limited.

Military Service (continued) Josh Boles / U.S. Air Force Twisted Trails Running Company in Steamboat Springs, CO

Susan, Cooper and Josh Boles.

After serving 13 years in the U.S. Air Force, Josh Boles and his wife, Susan, also a U.S. Air Force veteran, hungered for the entrepreneurial life, something they achieved in 2014 with the opening of Twisted Trails.

Over the last three years, Boles, who continues serving in the U.S. Air Force Reserves, says the leadership and organization he learned in the military has been essential to running an independent retail business, one that added a second unit in 2016.

“In the military, I was sometimes in charge of 60 people, which was a lesson in managing personalities and responsibilities,” he says. “You learn the importance of putting people in the right positions to use their best skills and how to find the right people to get specific jobs done.”

Even the transient lifestyle he experienced as a serviceman has turned into an asset.

“As a small business owner, you have no choice but to adapt to certain situations and be flexible, and bouncing around certainly teaches you that,” says Boles, whose third Twisted Trails business partner, Eric Edgerton, is a U.S. Navy veteran.

Sandra Elliott / U.S. Army Georgia Game Changers in Richmond Hill, GA

Ron and Sandra Elliott.

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After spending more than two decades in the U.S. Army, Sandra Elliott poured her passion into a new pursuit in 2012 with the opening of Georgia Game Changers.

Elliott, whose husband and business partner, Ron, served 26 years in the U.S. Army and continues working as an Army Civilian at nearby Fort Stewart, says her experience as an Army physical therapist has proven exceptionally helpful, driving both her interaction with customers and the shop’s service mentality.

“As a physical therapist in the Army, personnel coming to see me expected me to be an expert in what I was trained to do and that’s a role I took seriously by educating myself, being organized and focusing on making things the best they could possibly be,” Elliott explains. “It’s no different at the store where people come to us for answers, solutions and insights and we take being that expert resource seriously.”

And while communicating the intricate physiological workings of the human body can sometimes be a complex task, there, too, Elliott leans on her military experience.

“In the Army, you learn how to how to encapsulate key, important information and communicate that in an efficient way,” she says.

“That’s just about everyday at Georgia Game Changers.”

© 2017 Formula4media LLC.

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Military Service (continued) Juan Guevara / U.S. Navy The Running Elements in Port Orange, FL

4 Unique Race Events Celebrating the Military Desert Boneyard Run This fall 5k and 10k, sponsored by Fleet Feet Sports Tucson, takes runners through the Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Tucson, AZ, and its “boneyard,” a rarely-open-to-the-public storage site for retired military aircraft. More than 4,000 planes sit in the boneyard, some dating back to World War II. 9/11 Heroes Run 5k This national race series, inspired by late Marine 1st Lt. Travis Manion and created by his namesake Travis Manion Foundation, honors the nearly 3,000 lives lost on 9/11 as well as the nation’s veterans, military and first responders. Now in its 10th year, 9/11 Heroes Runs take place in more than 50 locations around the U.S. and abroad.

All American Marathon This annual spring event’s marathon, half-marathon and 5k routes finish at Fort Bragg, home of the U.S. Army Airborne and Special Operations Forces. The day prior to the races, which benefit Fort Bragg’s Morale, Welfare and Recreation Unit, participants can compete in a race-style scavenger hunt in support of local service members and their families.

Firecracker 5k for the Troops Potomac River Running’s 4th of July Firecracker 5k located in Virginia’s Reston Town Center benefits the USO. The eight-year-old event includes hundreds of American flag-waving spectators as well as a “Battle of the Branches” competition in which Potomac River Running makes a financial donation to USO-Metro in honor of the branch claiming the most participants.

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© 2017 Formula4media LLC.

Photos: Desert Bonayard Run; Senior Airman Christine Halan via Wikimedia Commons, 911 Heroes Run; travismanion.org/community; All American Run; facebook.com/AllAmericanMarathon/photos, Fircracker 5K For The Troops; prraces.com/firecracker.

Juan (second from left) and Katrina Guevera with staff.

Juan Guevara spent six years in the U.S. Navy, much of that time as a nuclear engineer on submarines, before settling back into life on Florida’s eastern coast with his wife, Katrina, in 2013.

Though Volusia County claimed an active population and hosted 2-3 road races each weekend, the closest running specialty stores sat well over an hour away. That reality combined with Katrina’s longstanding involvement with community events, including producing couch-to-5k programs, PT clinics and more, led the couple to launch The Running Elements retail store in October 2016.

Guevara oversees the retail operation while continuing to work full-time as an engineer, often working from a back office at the 1,700-square foot retail store. Guevara says his ability to balance it all – engineering work, retail operations and family life – was honed during his years in the Navy, where he learned organization, delegation and how to remain calm under pressure.

“There’s no way I’d be able to do everything I’m doing without my experience in the Navy,” he says. “That’s where I learned how to manage stress and pressure and concentrate on the task at hand.” n

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he New York City marathon is just a few days away. Slated for November 5, the 2017 TCS New York City marathon is the first as apparel and footwear sponsor of the marathon for New Balance. The brand’s official New Balance 2017 TCS New York City Marathon Collection includes four performance footwear models along with an apparel and accessories collection that includes technical running pieces and lifestyle inspired silhouettes. And as always, plenty of other brands have some eye-catching New York City-influenced products to offer.

On these pages are a few standouts. n

Š 2017 Formula4media LLC.

New York City Style (continued) m oo EZ K NI

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The all-new Cloud X. Run on clouds.

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THIS IS YOUR BRAIN ON STORIES… ANY QUESTIONS?

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BY TOM GRIFFEN

f you grew up in the ’80s you probably remember the commercial showing two raw eggs being dropped on a hot skillet. A monotone voice sternly saying, “This is drugs.

This is your brain on drugs. Any questions?” For years after it ran, any time my mom served up eggs for Saturday breakfast, my little brother Mike would decline, saying, “No thanks mom. I don’t eat drugs.” That commercial altered my brother’s normal behavior. Which is exactly what a good commercial is meant to do.

Consider the Super Bowl. A veritable fortune is spent on a blink of time to put one brand’s message before millions of football fans. The brand’s main goal is to make you, the viewer, immediately identify with the message and imagery.

Brands don’t care if what’s being advertised isn’t immediately recognizable. In fact, they’re more concerned with getting you emotionally involved in the story being told. Did a particular ad or commercial pluck a heartstring? If so, success! And even if that car commercial was about cowboys, at the last second they’ll put their logo front and center, thus etching a neural link between your brain and their business. Their hope is that next time you see the logo you’ll get that feeling again.

This feeling becomes the brand’s calling card. And go figure—it’s biologically generated. In fact, there’s an entire field of study dedicated to analyzing how businesses can better lodge themselves into consumer consciousness. Corporate storytellers strategically tap into this science. The best ones have figured out how to masterfully control your brain. Like, for real.

Take your world, for example. When a retail story nips at a customer’s emotions, a neurochemical called oxytocin is released in the brain. Oxytocin is necessary for humans to feel empathy. It makes customers feel more deeply connected to the overall service experience. Oxytocin is also partially responsible for the customer’s degree of trust in a salesperson.

It makes them more willing to collaborate or explore additional solutions. In simple terms, it makes them OK with an up-sell.

Without a healthy dose of story-induced oxytocin, the brain is guided by logic. And logic is not what inspires brand loyalty.

Specialty retail tends to rely on a fact-based story. Here’s a thing, here’s what this thing does, and here’s how to use it…

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wanna buy it? Logic is pervasive: retailers focus on it when training new employees, vendors use it to blueprint the unveiling of new products, and frankly, it’s what customers have come to expect. There’s nothing wrong with this fact-based aspect of our business unless, however, that’s all customers get from an in-store experience. Why? Because logic is accessible anywhere, and not emotionally memorable.

A logical story may deliver good information, but it doesn’t make the average customer feel anything. A better story is one that leads with connective emotion, then fills in the gaps with facts and data. Here’s a thing, here’s how this thing matches your unique story, here’s how it’s going to make you feel when you’re doing your particular thing… wanna buy it? See the difference?

There’s a physiological reason why stories are inspirational.

Why they directly affect action. Science is to blame for that Rocky movie marathon suddenly motivating you to get your butt to the gym and do a some pushups. Or why the Ironman series makes you feel indestructible.

A natural dose of oxytocin absorbs the customer into the story’s action. Makes them want to take on a deeper role. Makes them crave a more intimate connection. A possible result: they become a walking billboard for your shop. Another possibility: they buy more from you. I assume you’d take either one.

When you understand the scientific effects of a well-told story, you might rethink how yours is being told. Make sure it’s mindfully tapping into “the feels” more than delivering stats and brass tacks. This is your customer. This is your customer on a well-told story. Any questions?

When you understand the scientific effects of a well-told story, you might rethink how yours is being told. Make sure it’s mindfully tapping into the feels more than delivering stats and brass tacks. This is your customer. This is your customer on a well-told story. Any questions? n

Tom Griffen is a former running store owner who now runs a retail training business.

He will be speaking this year at The Running Event in Austin.

© 2017 Formula4media LLC.

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PREVIEW

TRE RETURNS TO AUSTIN The Industry Will Face its Present and Future

27 days from today, the running business will gather at The Running Event for its annual conference and trade show, a gathering that should answer some questions about the industry’s current state and provide a glimpse into its future.

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he Running Event will take place November 28December 1, 2017 at The Austin Convention Center and comes at a time when stores and brands indicate their business is beginning to show signs of an uptick. For the past three years, sales in the running channel have been flat, according to data from Sports Marketing Surveys, as run specialty stores have battled competitions from all corners—the Internet, big box stores and, increasingly, key brands who are targeting runners through direct to consumer programs.

© 2017 Formula4media LLC.

PREVIEW

TRE Returns to Austin (continued)

More than 250 brands will be showing their wares in Austin, including more than 50 first time exhibitors.

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But store owners who have spoken to Running Insight over the past few weeks indicate that business has been showing positive signs. They say store closures by Sports Authority and other major retailers mean fewer peripheral competitors selling running shoes. In many markets, running stores have also closed their doors. The “fashion running” trend is also on the decline which means non-specialty retailers have reduced the number of running style they carry, which could lead more shoppers seeking running shoes to shop specialty, another boost to the channel.

One of the reasons the channel has been flat for the past few years, retailers say, is because

there have been no major product innovations that sparked interest in the category, the way barefoot and lightweight shoes did around 2010. The advent of knit uppers, first popularized by Nike, and “maximal” designs like those pioneered by Hoka, have driven interest in the category, but store owners and industry pundits say the channel is well positioned to take advantage should “the next big thing” come along.

Retailers will have plenty of choices to seek that out at The Running Event. More than 250 brands will be showing their wares in Austin, including more than 50 first time exhibitors. The Running Event trade show will also include an exhibition

© 2017 Formula4media LLC.

PREVIEW

TRE Returns to Austin (continued) The Sports Bra Salon TRE AT A GLANCE Nov. 28 -Dec. 1, 2017 After a one-year hiatus to Orlando, TRE returns to Austin for four days of business sessions, networking and a trade show.

What’s New • For the first time, TRE is hosting a program for race directors and employees of running stores who are involved in the events business.

• TRE and the Running Industry Association will host a speed dating luncheon on Wednesday, Nov. 29 that will introduce 14 brands to retailers in a fun, fast-paced format.

The Sports Bra Salon will educate retailers on proper fitting and merchandising techniques for sports bras.

Conference Speakers

• The Indie 5K will take place at Nland Surf Park on Thursday, Nov. 30. Buses will leave the Hilton Austin at 6:15 a.m.

• The revamped Best Stores Awards dinner will take place at the Hilton Austin at 7 p.m. on Nov. 30.

AVAILABLE ONLINE Conference And Trade Show Badges CLICK TO REGISTER

Special Hotels Accommodations CLICK TO REGISTER

Race Directors CLICK TO REGISTER

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Left to right: Walter Robb, Tom Griffen, Holly Wiese.

of a working shoe manufacturing machine adjacent to the Superfeet booth.

The Sports Bra Salon will be another unique feature of the trade show floor. The Sports Bra Salon concept was introduced at Formula 4 Media’s SportStyle show earlier this year to educate retailers on proper fitting and merchandising techniques for sports bras. The Bra Fitting Salon is sponsored

by Anita, Body Glove, Enell, Handful, Moving Comfort and Shock Absorber.

Holly Wiese and her team at 3 Dots Design will merchandise the area (with Greneker mannequins) and run seminars during the trade show.

The TRE Conference will feature a number of sessions for both store owners and their employees. Walter Robb, the former co-CEO of Whole Foods will be the main speaker

on Tuesday, November 28. Robb, who started his career as the owner of a 1,000 square-foot health food store, will talk about the importance of creating a “winning culture” in stores and will be interviewed on stage by Chris Farley of Pacers, who also interviewed Robb for his podcast “Pace the Nation.”

Tom Griffen, a former storeowner and retail trainer, will lead sessions on “What we can learn from actors, gas station attendants and orchestra conductors about specialty retail.” And the RIA and Superfeet will be hosting a two-part “Shoe Guru” program in which employees can be certified as “Shoe Guru” fitters.

The full agenda for TRE can be seen at therunningevent.com/agenda.html n The Running Event is owned by Formula 4 Media, LLC, publishers of this newsletter.

© 2017 Formula4media LLC.

11.28.17 UNDER ARMOUR’S L ATEST F O OT W E A R I N N OVAT I O N AUSTIN, TEXAS BOOTH #1330

RUN CONNECTED

Brooks Running Company Returns to Double-Digit Growth in Q3 2017

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“We’re extremely excited about the return to growth we’ve driven across the business because it shows us our products are resonating.”

DAN SHERIDAN, BROOKS

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rooks Running Company reported an 11-percent increase in third-quarter revenue year over year, led by a 14-percent increase in global footwear sales. Success of the company’s footwear business in the third quarter was driven by demand for the Ghost and Adrenaline GTS, which grew 39 percent and 30 percent respectively, as well as by early success of the Brooks Levitate with DNA AMP, a new shoe that the company says provides runners with the most energy return of leading performance running shoes. In addition to increased demand, both the Brooks Ghost and Adrenaline GTS received awards from Runner’s World in the third quarter. The Brooks Ghost 10 received Editor’s Choice and the Adrenaline GTS 18 received Outdoor Retailer Editor’s Choice.

“We’re extremely excited about the return to growth we’ve driven across the business because it shows us our products are resonating,” said Dan Sheridan, executive vice president, general manager of global sales for Brooks.

“The Brooks Levitate with DNA AMP is the most successful new product launch we’ve had in years. Combined with increasing demand for franchise models like the Ghost and Adrenaline GTS, Brooks is in a strong position to be the No. 1 choice for runners worldwide.”

Despite a constantly changing marketplace, the performance running category is showing signs of stabilizing and Brooks is standing strong within the category. According to NPD’s Consumer Tracking Service, Brooks grew its total U.S. adult

running footwear market dollar share to 3.7 percent year to date through September 2017.

Over the same period, the company also gained 1.5 share points in the $100 and above (average selling price) segment of the adult running footwear category, making it the No. 3 brand with 7.8 percent dollar share.

Brooks remains committed to its specialty running retail partners and in 2017 launched two programs—Locally and Fast Track—to reinvigorate the channel. Acting as a one-stop-shop for retailers to manage orders, check inventory and drop-ship directly to customers, Fast Track empowers retail partners to offer customers a full array of products without the burden of bringing excess inventory into their stores. Through its partnership with locally.com, Brooks connects retailers’ inventories with the company’s website so consumers can go to BrooksRunning.com and find a local retail store that carries their desired gear at that very moment.

According to NPD’s Retail Tracking Service, Brooks maintained its No. 1 market share position in the Run Specialty channel with 25 percent unit share of performance running footwear (excluding sports-lifestyle) for the last 12 months ending August 2017.

“We’ve never experienced a more dynamic time in the marketplace and we’re working harder than ever to build and deliver the best gear in the world for all who run,” said Brooks CEO Jim Weber.

“Despite uneven retail conditions, we continue to invest in future growth in run, including bringing the best talent to the Brooks team.”

To this end, Brooks added to its executive team in the third quarter. Melanie Allen joined Brooks as senior vice president, chief marketing officer.

Prior to Brooks, Allen served as vice president of global coffee innovation at Starbucks Coffee Company and held a series of leadership roles in marketing, product, and engineering at Procter & Gamble and 3M. In her new role, Allen will lead Brooks’ global marketing strategy and work to refine Brooks’ go-to-market game plan in pursuit of becoming “the performance brand of choice for all who run.” n

© 2017 Formula4media LLC.

LOOKING AHEAD:

Nike Banks on Trio of Platforms

T Nike Air VaporMax Flyknit “Ice Flash”

Nike Zoom Fly “Triple Noir”

Read more on this story in Sports Insight Extra: sportsinsightextra.com 28

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hree distinct concepts—Air VaporMax, ZoomX and React—are being counted on to “revolutionize” the running category at Nike in 2018 and beyond, according to senior company executives. Nike running sales grew 5 percent to $5.278 billion in fiscal year 2017 (ended May 31) after increasing 8 percent the prior fiscal year to top $5 billion for the first time.

“Running has always been the lifeblood of Nike,” CEO Mark Parker told investors last month. “When we build momentum there, it carries really to all parts of the company.”

Parker confirmed that VaporMax, ZoomX and React are each at different stages of their consumer adoption cycles. The run category’s cushioning platform is React, which Nike is shifting from initial use in basketball to running, training and sportswear.

Parker said the first React running shoe, the Epic React that debuts in Spring 2018, is lightweight, durable, soft, responsive and was developed in-house at Nike using digital design tools. The model, described as offering a combination of durability and energy return, was “digitally finetuned through thousands of iterations using Gigabytes of proprietary athletic data through a Nike concept dubbed QuantumCraft,” he said.

The Epic React has been tested by runners of all ability levels, logging more than 17,000 miles in the lab and on the track by everyone from elite to everyday runners.

As for VaporMax, one of the latest iterations of Nike Air, Parker predicts it and several other Air Max innovations in the development pipeline, will “drive several billion dollars of incremental growth” for the company over the next five years.

A major component of QuantumCraft is speed-to-market as Nike moves to design and deliver new product to shelves in less than six months. Meanwhile, the update component of Nike’s “Express Lane” strategy enables

the brand to add new materials, colors and prints to styles, based on consumer insights, in less than 90 days.

In the app world, Nike will lean on the existing SNKRS, Nike Training Club and Nike Run Club to fortify its relationship with consumers, athletes and runners. At NTC, the top workout app in the U.S. and Europe according to company officials, logs 1.8 million workouts monthly. At NRC, where nearly 50 million miles of running is tracked monthly, Nike is adding audio-guided runs to help athletes run their first race or prepare for their next big one. By Summer 2018, seamless commerce will be integrated into both applications.

Nike says its apps are becoming the preferred way for consumers to shop the brand, no matter where they live in the world. Currently, more than 50 percent of Nike Direct digital revenues is generated

by U.S. mobile interaction. With these apps up and working in 20 countries in North America and Europe, they will soon be extended to China and Japan where senior Nike executives believe they will be able to reach nearly 700 million additional, new consumers.

Back in North America, the approximate $15 billion business is forecast to grow in the mid-single digits over the next five years, but at the same time see “Nike consumer experiences, digital and physical, owned and partnered to expand to over 80 percent of the business,” said Andy Campion, Nike EVP and Chief Financial Officer.

“Our projected rate of growth for North America does take into account the risk of further retail disruption. While we can’t predict, with precise timing, potential store closures, we have quantified the aggregate risk…We view that as a discrete, short-term impact. What’s more important is fueling the Nike Consumer Experiences that will recapture that demand and drive long-term growth,” Campion added. —Bob McGee

© 2017 Formula4media LLC.

PULSE NEW, EXPANDED LINE ®

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©2017 Stable Step, LLC

FIRMER ARCH WITH HEEL POST FOR GREATER FOOT POSITIONING

Running Shorts

Reebok’s new Boston flagship store is located at 25 Drydock Avenue within the Innovation and Design Building.

Reebok’s New Boston Flagship

On October 23, Reebok opened its flagship retail store at the brand’s new headquarters in South Boston.

The new store will offer exclusive Boston-specific products and limitededition product ranges. In addition, product testing will be available, with consumers able to test footwear prior to purchase in the store. The design of the Reebok Boston store is an update of the brand’s FitHub retail concept, which was introduced in 2012. The design takes inspiration from fitness studios and gyms, as well as a maker’s workshop. The store also features enhanced digital displays, online ordering, as well as mobile point-of-sale and payment methods.

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ASICS Launches Campaign

A new brand campaign from ASICS America showcases its partnership with Steve Aoki, the Grammy-nominated, DJ/producer, who is also a fitness fanatic.

Aoki will serve as the face of the new “I Move Me” campaign in North America. The brand describes it as its “most significant fully integrated marketing effort in two decades.”

The campaign aims to enhance the brand’s connection with consumers in the fast-changing fitness category and also sets out to present a contemporary expression of the brand’s founding vision and philosophy to a new generation of consumers.

“ASICS stands for Anima Sana In

Corpore Sano, a Sound Mind in a Sound Body and we are so excited to show the world a reimagined interpretation of that mantra,” said Gene McCarthy, president and CEO of ASICS Americas.

The “I Move Me” campaign debuts with a sensory film starring Aoki, set to his new Kolony track, showcasing the correlation between his music and movements. The film also features two of ASICS sponsored athletes, fourtime World Champion Wrestler and 2012 Olympic Gold Medalist, Jordan Burroughs and World Champion track and field athlete and bobsledder, and three-time Olympian Lolo Jones.

See more here: www.ASICS.com/ imoveme

© 2017 Formula4media LLC.

BRACE. YOUR PACE. NO SHOW - DOUBLE TAB NEW DESIGN

Proven relief from your Plantar Fasciitis experts in a comfortable, high-tech running sock Max-Wicking, seamless, shaped-to-fit construction built around the #1 selling FS6® Technology. These durable FS4™ Plantar Fasciitis running socks will continuously provide PF relief and prevention from recurring symptoms. Targeted medical grade compression to strengthen your feet and improve performance.

Runners need support WHILE they’re running. Most braces don’t work that way. We took notice, took the challenge and created what we call OS1st® Base Layer Bracing, compression bracing sleeves made to be worn while active and for recovery. Thin enough to wear under any apparel, this is medical-grade compression that’s lightweight, breathable and moisture-wicking with comfort zones in the right places ...

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Running Shorts (continued) “In the most recent quarter, Hoka One One was Deckers’ strongest performing brand.”

Spring 2018

32

Hoka O ne

runninginsight.com

One M ach

Hoka Sales Rise 34 Percent; Parent Takes Self ‘Off the Block’

After a six-month process that involved reaching out to 90 potential acquirers, including strategic and financial partners in the U.S. and abroad, Deckers Outdoors has abandons plans to sell itself off. Instead, the parent of Hoka One One, Uggs, Teva and Sanuk will shift its focus to a longterm business optimization plan.

Part of that effort includes a $400 million stock buyback plan funded through domestic cash flow.

In the most recent quarter ended September 30, Hoka One One was the company’s strongest performing brand as sales rose 34.4 percent to $40.6 million.

© 2017 Formula4media LLC.

Introducing

ALBERT The Revolutionary 3D Foot Scanner

Aetrex is bringing consumers back into stores like never before with Albert, its revolutionary, 3D foot scanner.

Albert captures unmatched data and information about feet, enabling consumers to make more educated buying decisions when it comes to footwear and orthotic purchases. Featuring 18 digital cameras, 960 infrared LEDs and receptors and over 5,000 gold plated sensors, Albert offers the most sophisticated, interactive, in-store scanning experience to date.

Working in tandem with Aetrex’s Lynco orthotic line, Albert is tied to a unique business model that offers tremendous impact to your bottom line and proven consumer benefits.

Learn how you can get Albert for FREE! Call 800.526.2739 for more information

Running Shorts (continued) OUTDOOR RETAILER SHOW 2018 DENVER, COLORADO OR + SNOW SHOW JANUARY 25-28 OR SUMMER JULY 23-26 OR WINTER NOVEMBER 8-11

34

runninginsight.com

Outdoor Retailer Sets New Show Schedule Through 2022

Following its recent alliance with Snowsports Industries of America, Outdoor Retailer will have three events annually in Denver for the next five years. After 2018, when OR will take place in late January (Jan. 25-28) for the OR +Snow Show, late July (July 23-26) and early November (Nov. 8-11), the shows beyond 2018 are slated for early January, mid-June and early November. Registration for exhibitors and independent reps for the January 2018 show will open in mid-November.

“By re-establishing Outdoor Retailer as a launch event, the shows are able to influence ‘how’ retailers buy, rather than ‘when’ they buy,” OR VP and Show Director Marisa Nicholson said in a prepared statement. “…Brands benefit from early retailer feedback to guide forecasting and production. The industry benefits from everyone coming together to share ideas.”

© 2017 Formula4media LLC.

SEEBUYRUN SEE IT FIRST IN AUSTIN

THE RUNNING EVENT

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November 28 - December 1, 2017 Austin Convention Center & Hilton Austin therunningevent.com