The Long Run Fleet Feet is already the nation’s largest specialty running retailer. CEO Joey Pointer sees even greater growth opportunities ahead and believes the chain’s brightest days are yet to come. By Greg Dutter
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UNNING A SUCCESSFUL retail operation is a lot like running. The second you slow down, you lose ground to competitors. And if you cramp up and stop, you can be left behind for good. Joey Pointer refuses to let that happen to Fleet Feet. The chain currently boasts approximately 300 stores and $600 million in annual sales, and Pointer’s five-year goal is to expand to 400 stores and hit the $1 billion mark. The CEO is confident those milestones are within reach, having already set a blistering pace since being promoted from CFO in 2017. Fleet Feet has acquired businesses (Jack Rabbit and Marathon Sports chains, most notably), opened numerous company- and franchise-owned locations, expanded its digital footprint, introduced Fit ID foot-scanning devices in stores, and unveiled a new flame-inspired logo. Next up is a revolutionized loyalty program set to debut by year’s end. What looks like a sprint, though, is actually an ultra-marathon. That’s because Pointer isn’t just working on a five-year growth plan for the now 47-year-old business; he’s on a journey to build a 100-year brand. In fact, what he loves most about his job is the challenge of finding ways to grow
and evolve to ensure that Fleet Feet is just as relevant today as it was a year ago, five years ago, etc. “You have to earn it every single day to stay on that journey,” says Pointer, an avid runner. “You have to win with every single customer, and past success doesn’t equal future success. When we open our doors each day, we have to be on our game and give customers that unparalleled experience. Because if we ever stop doing that, we won’t hit our goals. So, every day is Day One of building a 100-year brand.” This effort spans every facet of Fleet Feet’s business. It’s why Pointer regularly visits stores to get an in-the-trenches perspective of how well they are serving customers and what can be improved. He often comes back with reams of notes to run by the management team at the company’s Carrboro, NC, headquarters. He even jumps behind the cash register for brief tours of duty, looking for ways to improve the overall shopping experience and to fully appreciate what his employees (called “outfitters”) go through on a daily basis. “To perform on that retail floor, where customers have all this knowledge at their fingertips yet still look to our outfitters to be experts is hard,” Pointer says, confessing that he’s “horrible” at it. Still, he still believes it’s the best way to help Fleet Feet get better. “To be a great leader, you have to be a great listener,
12 footwearplusmagazine.com • july 2023
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