- SportsOneSource.com

APRIL2009
Volume 4 | Issue 4
SRDC Eyes Acquisition
Opportunities Amidst Recession
While the economic downturn is putting
the squeeze on many retailers, it’s also
creating opportunities for the Specialty
Retail Development Company (SRDC).
Since the company was established in
fall 2008 by principals at Fleet Feet Inc.,
SRDC has acquired seven running specialty stores and currently has another
six in development.
“Unfortunately for the industry,
there are more opportunities than ever
because stores that had been riding the
tide are now grounded, their sales are
declining, they aren’t paying their ven-
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dors on time and they are facing a future
of closing sooner rather than later,” said
Tom Raynor, managing director at SRDC
and chairman at Fleet Feet Inc.
SRDC was founded with a mission to
help store owners who wanted to retire
or needed to leave the business while
also helping provide store employees
with a path to ownership. These succession issues had challenged Fleet Feet
Inc. for years and the solutions developed there are being expanded beyond
the franchise operation.
“The small business owner who wants
to sell their business always asks; ‘How
much is my store worth and who will
buy it?,’” said Raynor. “And employees
looking to get into ownership have to
find the money and have an infrastructure to comprehensively manage the
financial aspects of the business. The
plain and simple fact is that the SRDC
wants to buy stores, work with great
employees to develop them further and
sell the stores to those employees.”
SRDC acquired its first four stores in
January 2008. The stores were all Fleet
Feet Sports locations, with one each
based in Jackson, MS; Brentwood, TN;
Aptos, CA and Santa Rosa, CA. In March
2008, the Fleet Feet Sports Carrboro store
– which is located directly across the
street from the SRDC office and down the
street from Fleet Feet Inc. headquarters
– was acquired in March 2008. In August
2008, a Fleet Feet Sports in Elmhurst, IL
was acquired and then its first non-Fleet
Feet, The Runner’s High in Menlo Park,
CA, was acquired in September 2008.
The Menlo Park store will be converted
to a Fleet Feet Sports this summer.
With the arrival of the recession,
Raynor has noticed more caution from
owners in selling their stores.
“Their retirement funds have dropped,
they have good cash flow from the
ongoing business and they’re unsure if
they can get another job at this time,”
says Raynor.
But he said despite the capital
restraints in the market, prices being
fetched for stores haven’t changed.
“We’re still fundamentally grounded
in the numbers we developed two years
(continued on page 4)
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APRIL2009
EDITORIAL
Group Editorial Director
Lou Dzierzak (612-618-2780)
lou@sportsonesource.com
Senior Editor
Thomas Ryan (917-375-4699)
tryan@sportsonesource.com
Contributing Editors
Nancy Prichard Bouchard Ph.D.,
Kyle Conrad, Emmaline Harvey,
Dr. Paul Langer, Jackson Sveen
CREATIVE
Creative Director, Teresa Hartford
Graphic Designer, Megan Grieser
PRODUCTION
Product Development Manager
Jeremy Noel
jnoel@sportsonesource.com
COVERSTORY
Tom Raynor, managing
director at SRDC and
chairman at Fleet Feet, Inc.
ADVERTISING
Midwest Ad Manager
Sam Selvaggio (212-398-5021)
sselvaggio@sportsonesource.com
Western Ad Manager
Susan Tauster (630-858-1558)
stauster@sportsonesource.com
Business
Circulation & Subscriptions
Joy Matheny (704-987-3450 x107)
subs@sportsonesource.com
TECHNOLOGY
Chief Information Officer, Mark Fine
VP Research & Development, Gerry Axelrod
Director Information Management, Ruben Desangles
Manager Database Operations, Cathy Badalamenti
BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT
President & CEO, James Hartford
VP Business Development, Bill Bratton
Director, Business Devleopment, Barry Gauthier
Director, Specialty Business, Kris Versteegen
Relationship Marketing Manager, Jill Underwood
Research Sales & Marketing, Katie Bolick
Other SportsOneSource PUBLICATIONS
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Outdoor Business
SGD TEAM Business
The B.O.S.S. Report
Sports Executive Weekly
SGB Update
Outdoor Business Update
Footwear Business Update
Sportsman’s Business Update
Team Business Update
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NEWS
4 Craft Names Category Leader for Running and Alpine Skiiing
5 Brooks Unveils Running Superfans Campaign
AVIA Adds to Roster of Triathletes
6 ASICS Continues Sponsorship of Constantina Dita
Newton Running Extends Relationship with Marathoner Josh Cox
K-Swiss Inks Deal for Ironman Footwear and Apparel
7 Saucony Sponsors Pit Stops Along Boston Marathon Training Route
8 SGB Announces Recipients of the Second Annual 40 Under 40 Awards
FEATURES
10 The Sales Rep Redefined Retailers pushing for greater analysis and driving consumer demand has transformed the role of the sales rep
12 Stable
Shoes Stable Sales Last entry in a series examining traditional
performance footwear categories
16 One Stop Shopping for 3,000 Running Specialty Products Quality Bike Parts brings distribution expertise to performance sports retailers
Copyright 2009 SportsOneSource, LLC. All rights reserved. The opinions expressed by writers & contributors to PERFORMANCE SPORTS
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Articles appearing in PSR may not be reproduced in whole or in part without the express permission of the publisher.
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STREET, SUITE 200, CHARLOTTE, NC 28203; (704) 987-3450.
NEWS
SRDC Eyes
(continued from cover)
ago and continue to offer the same
valuation for stores as we did in 2008,”
stresses Raynor. “Since we’ve been
financially successful and soundly and
prudently operated, we have strong
banking relationships with our local
bank, KeySource. We’ve got access to
plenty of capital, both from bank financing and from other investors who would
like to invest in SRDC. But we have to
find the right stores at the right price to
buy.”
SRDC’s principals also include Jeff
Phillips, president of Fleet Feet Inc. and
Jeff Wells, a former Fleet Feet Sports
franchise owner. But the business is
essentially run by Denise Core, a former
banker whose official title at SRDC is
general manager.
“She’d been our banker and understood our business and potential,” says
Raynor. “She’d left the banking business
after years of working with small business clients. She was looking for a new
business opportunity since her four boys
all left home and I was looking for someone to drive the business everyday. She
was the perfect person.”
SRDC has a small in-house financial
management staff that handles all the
back-of-house operations for the stores,
and has created a website at srdcinc.
com. All of the funding for the SRDC
“has come from a small group of people
who believe in what we’re doing and are
willing to bet on our plan,” adds Raynor.
While solving succession issues for
Fleet Feet Inc. franchise owners, SRDC
and Fleet Feet Inc. are completely independent companies. SRDC essentially
operates as a multi-unit franchisee
of Fleet Feet, Inc. and has a franchise
agreement for each store, just like any of
the multi-unit franchisees.
Nonetheless, part of the growth at
Fleet Feet Inc. is expected to come from
acquisitions facilitated by the SRDC,
including the soon-to-be converted The
Runner’s High in Menlo Park.
Regarding Fleet Feet Inc., Raynor
described growth prospects as “excellent,” driven by new franchises, conversions from SRDC deals and organic
growth. Only two to three new franchisees are expected to be added this year
as the recession puts a damper on entrepreneurial efforts but same-store sales
continue to run up double-digits across
its franchises on top of strong gains over
the last several years.
“We have some stores expanding their
footprint that will see growth and there
are existing stores that will be acquired
by the SRDC and new ownership energy
injected into the operation,” says Raynor,
who bought the Fleet Feet franchising
operation in 1993.
Fleet Feet Inc. also sees growth opportunities through its Brand Management
programs, in which brand managers
work with key vendors to drive growth
across Fleet Feet’s franchised locations.
Nonetheless, Raynor said the primary
focus for Fleet Feet Inc. this year will
be preaching “comprehensive financial management” to all its franchise
partners.
“We’re going to be absolutely, positively driven by the financial details
of each and every store,” says Raynor.
“Every member of the Fleet Feet Inc.
staff is focused on that. It’s good for our
vendors, our customers, our store owners
and, ultimately for Fleet Feet Inc.”
But Raynor is equally bullish about
growth prospects for SRDC both through
acquisitions and organic growth. Sales
ramped up 16 percent in the first quarter this year on a same-store basis.
Regarding acquisition goals, Raynor said
SRDC’s biggest challenge right now is
to find and develop new store owners.
The SRDC team is reaching out to sales
representatives, employees of Fleet Feet
Sports stores and employees of other
specialty stores to find the right people.
He said SRDC will only buy a store with
a clear cut plan for ownership by an
employee in three years.
“Since our goals are not to own stores
long term, I’ll be happy if we own and
operate 15-25 stores in 2 years with the
addition of four new stores a year and
four stores transitioning to ownership by
the employee,” says Raynor. “We want to
buy stores and find great people to operate and own those stores!!”
Craft Names Category Leader for
Running and Alpine Skiiing
Craft of Sweden has named Philip Tavell to the position of
category leader for running and alpine skiing. Beginning in
April, the former professional mountain bike racer will support the product management team in the company’s headquarters in Borås, Sweden.
The 33 year-old Tavell previously worked for Red Bull as
category manager of sales and promotion in Stockholm.
Tavell was a member of the Multivan Merida professional
mountain bike team for four years and was also sponsored
PSR | performancesportsretailer.com
by Red Bull for seven years.
Catrine Marchall, head of product and design at Craft,
says: “We’re very excited about Philip joining our team. His
experience as an athlete and his business insight will have
an immediate impact on Craft.”
To download a digital version of this publication, go to:
www.performancesportsretailer.com
Brooks Unveils Running Superfans Campaign
Brooks plans to introduce its new advertising campaign at
the 2009 Boston Marathon. The campaign stars comedians of
MTV fame Randy and Jason Sklar, who will act as Carl and
Karl Underwood, running’s #1 Superfans. Brooks said the Running Superfans concept is a metaphor for Brooks’ commitment
to running and to supporting runners of all types.
The Running Superfans campaign includes eight video
shorts with humorous storylines about finding a unique way
to retrieve golf balls at a driving range and engaging a police officer in an impromptu baton pass. Some of the videos are posted
on the campaign’s website at www.runningsuperfans.com
Five print executions will appear in the May issues of Runner’s World, Running Times, and Women’s Running, among
others. In one print execution, Carl and Karl Underwood complete their full-scale sculpture of their favorite runner, Brian
Sell, out of 14 different types of pasta.
AVIA Adds to
Roster of Triathletes
Avia has added Joanna Zeiger to its team of professional athletes. Two years after turning pro in 1998, Zeiger won “Triathlete of the Year” honors in 2000 for her fourth place finish at the
Olympics and fifth place finish at the Ironman Championship in
Kona, Hawaii.
Avia’s team of professional duathletes and triathletes includes Kenny Souza, Scott Tinley, Conrad Stoltz, Erika Csomor,
Eduardo Sturla, Heather Wurtele, Trevor Wurtele, Melanie McQuaid, Amanda Felder, Steven Sexton, Angela Naeth, Bella Bayliss, Saul Raisin and Pip Taylor.
On Friday April 17th, Brooks will transform its Boston
Marathon expo space into a revivalist tent-complete with a
spirited organ choir where the Sklar Brothers will conduct
hourly shows.
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NEWS
ASICS Continues
K-Swiss
ASICS Corp. entered into a new four-year sponsorship contract with 2008 Beijing Olympic Marathon gold medalist Constantina Dita. Under the terms of the agreement, Dita will wear
ASICS shoes and apparel in all of her competitions and training, with the exception of international championships where
she will represent her native Romania.
ASICS has had sponsorship agreements with Dita since
2004. The renewed sponsorship deal will cover Dita from 2009
through 2012, including the 2012 London Olympic Games.
Since 2002, Dita has had one of the world’s most successful distance running careers, capped by the victory at last
summer’s Bejing Olympic Games. Highlights have included
gold, silver, and bronze medals at the IAAF World Half-Marathon Championships; a bronze medal at the 2005 IAAF World
Championships marathon; numerous Romanian national records; and a half-dozen appearances on the top three podiums of World Marathon Major events, including three each at
London and Chicago.
K-Swiss inked a long-term official partnership with
World Triathlon Corporation, owners of the Ironman brand. Under the agreement, K-Swiss will be
the exclusive footwear and apparel provider of an
evolving collection of co-branded K-Swiss/Ironman
performance and lifestyle footwear and apparel.
The K-Swiss/Ironman product will initially be
sold through online distribution channels via www.
kswiss.com and www.ironman.com at the events,
and ultimately through strategic performance retail
partners.
“We are excited to be partnered with K-Swiss,”
says Giancola, director of sponsorship and licensing for Ironman. “They understand the Ironman
brand’s DNA extremely well and have invested the
necessary resources to develop an amazing line of
footwear and apparel products.”
Additionally, K-Swiss will continue to support
Ironman events throughout 2009 as the Official Run
Course Sponsor of Ironman 70.3 Boise, Amica Ironman 70.3 Rhode Island, Ford Ironman Louisville and
both World Championship events; the Ford Ironman World Championship in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii,
and the Foster Grant Ironman World Championship
70.3 in Clearwater, FL. K-Swiss will also serve as a
sponsor for all other Ironman and 70.3 events domestically, as well as Ironman UK and both 2009
Ironman events in Germany.
“Ironman athletes demand top-performing products to endure the rigorous training and competition,” said K-Swiss sports marketing director Erik
Vervloet. “The brand’s official logo, the ‘M-Dot,’ is
truly the purest symbol of that level of performance.
K-Swiss has spent the last several years developing
and testing our products with world-class Ironman
athletes, culminating in products that are ready to
perform at the highest level and uphold the Ironman logo.”
K-Swiss supports a growing roster of triathletes,
Olympians and Ironman champions, including Paul
Amey, Terenzo Bozzone, Hillary Biscay, Leanda
Cave, Gina Ferguson, Belinda Granger, Heather
Gollnick, Chris Lieto, Luke McKenzie, Kim Loeffler
and Matt Reed.
Sponsorship of
Constantina Dita
Newton Running
Extends Relationship
with Marathoner Josh Cox
After a year that included a marathon win and a new American record in the 50K, Newton Running has renewed its
sponsorship with professional runner Josh Cox.
“Josh is a terrific athlete-spokesperson for our shoes,”
states Newton Co-Founder and CEO, Jerry Lee. “Josh is not
only winning races in Newtons, but he’s a very recognizable runner with an influential media presence. This is an
example of Newton’s growing commitment to the running
market.”
Cox, 34, is a three-time Olympic Trials qualifier and threetime US National Team member. Last January, Cox was
named USA Track and Field’s “Athlete of the Week” for
shattering the 50K American record by over four minutes
at Arizona’s Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon. Cox also offers his professional perspective as an on-air personality for Fox Sports
and Runner’s World. In 2005, Cox starred on ABC’s hit reality
show, The Bachelorette.
Team Newton also includes Paula Newby-Fraser, Craig Alexander, Michellie Jones, Natascha Badmann, Heather Fuhr,
Katja Schumacher, Michael Simpson, Stephen Hackett, Tim
Berkel, Chris Legh, Jozsef Major and Heleen Bij De Vaate.
PSR | performancesportsretailer.com
Inks Deal for Ironman
Footwear and Apparel
Saucony Sponsors
Pit Stops Along Boston
Marathon Training Route
In the lead up to the 2009 Boston Marathon, Saucony sponsored portable toilets along a stretch of the marathon
route where runners training for the event have sometimes made unsanctioned backyard “pit stops.” The restrooms were removed on April 13th, a week before the race.
Saucony said its purpose was to provide convenience for
runners who want to take pre-marathon training runs on the
actual marathon course.
“As we enter the final weeks of training for Boston, there’s
a major increase in runners training along the Newton hills,
especially on the weekends,” said Sharon Barbano, Newton
resident and Boston Marathon runner, vice president of public
relations, athletes and events for Saucony. “On those long
runs, nature often calls and this stretch of road offers no place
for impromptu relief, except the bushes and gardens on or near
private homes. We hope this pit stop offers a practical solution
for both the runners and the neighborhood during the final
weeks of Boston training.”
Saucony is a subsidiary of Collective Brands Inc. and a
PSR_hor:Layout 1 3/11/09 10:33 AM Page 1
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performancesportsretailer.com | PSR NEWS
SGB Announces Recipients of the Second Annual
40 Under 40 Awards
The Finalists:
The recipients of the second annual SGB 40 Under 40 awards
have been selected and will be honored at a banquet event on
May 2, 2009 preceding the NSGA Management Conference in
San Antonio, TX. The winners, honored by their peers as the
best and brightest of the next generation of sporting goods
industry leaders, were selected by a panel of SportsOneSource
analysts and editors and a team of industry executives
from over 500 nominations received by SportsOneSource
Network members.
“These awards are a way to recognize the great work
done by some of the younger people in our industry,” said
James Hartford, president, CEO and group publisher of The
SportsOneSource Group, which publishes the SGB trade publication. “The inaugural event last year drew very strong support as a necessary element in honoring the next generation of
leaders. We felt co-locating the event with the NSGA conference, which includes the annual Sporting Goods Hall of Fame
dinner, was a perfect fit.”
This year, the banquet has been opened up so others in the
industry can attend the event to honor the finalists. The banquet
will take place on Saturday, May 2 and will feature a golf outing the
next day prior to the NSGA conference.
PSR | performancesportsretailer.com
Jeff Beraznik, President, Cutters Gloves
Toby Bost, CEO & Chairman of the Board, La Jolla Group
Jeff Brodeur, Key Account Manager, Navionics
Craig Brommers, VP Marketing, Speedo USA
Louie Burgos, Merchandise Manager, Footwear, Jimmy Jazz
Faust Capobianco IV, VP/GM MLB Global Sales & Marketing,
Majestic Athletic/VF Imagewear
Chad Clark, VP of Sales, Cliff Keen Athletic
Seth Cobb, VP & General Manager, Merrell
Bob Dahlin, Buyer, Dunham’s Sports
Todd Dalhausser, GM Apparel, Saucony
Nicole DeBoom, Founder & CEO, SkirtSports, Inc
Joe Earley, CEO, Tifosi Optics
Rod Foley, Director of Marketing, Running Footwear, Mizuno
Scott Frnka, VP Field & Stream, Academy Sports & Outdoors
Joe Hyer, Supreme Commander, The Alpine Experience &
Olympic Outfitters
George Kollitides II, Managing Director,
Cerberus Capital Management
Todd Levine, President, Alleson Athletic
BJ Maloy, Founder & CEO, Evolve Golf
Ted Manning, VP/GMM, Eastern Mountain Sports
Robert Minsky, VP of Sales & Licensing, Haddad Brands
Rob Mogolov, Marketing Manager, Cramer Products
Jeremy Moon, President/Founder, Icebreaker
Brian Moore, VP Global Men’s Footwear, Timberland
Dave Morrow, President, CEO & Founder, Warrior Sports
Roy Notowitz, Former Partner, Generator Group
David Ortley, Senior Director of Global Footwear, TaylorMade
Nathan Pund, President, Silver Steep Partners
Todd Raskin, Head Buyer & Partner, Trailblazer
Seth Richards, CEO, Implus Footcare
Kevin Sheehan, Director of Sales, Tippmann Sports
Dan Sheridan, VP, National Account Sales, Brooks Sports
Todd Spaletto, VP Sales, The North Face
Mike Steck, Senior Director, Customer Marketing & Sustainability,
Yakima Products, Inc.
Jason Steris, President & COO, Volcom
Andy Tompkins, Group Show Director, Nielsen Sports Group
Nate Treadaway, President & COO, Blackpowder Products, Inc.
Susan Viscon, Director, Merchandise Management, Actionsports, REI
Jason Volk, Director of Sales, Sports & Fitness, Oregon Scientific
Kim Walker, Co-Founder & Owner, Outdoor Divas
Austin Williams, Director of Retail Operations, Games People Play
craig brommers
VP marketing, speedo Usa
rod Foley
director of marketing,
running Footwear, mizuno
todd dalhaUsser
gm apparel, saucony
seth richards
ceo, implus Footcare
Nicole deboom
Founder & ceo, skirtsports, inc.
daN sheridaN
VP of National sales, brooks sports
performancesportsretailer.com | PSR FEATURE
Sales reps have traditionally been vital
in bringing new brands and ideas to the
sporting goods marketplace, but their
role in recent years has changed as a
result of consolidation and advancements in technology within the sporting
goods industry. Reps are increasingly
asked to help manage inventories and
improve the number of product turns
for vendors. Beyond the extra discount
on pricing, retailers are looking for more
support to help manage inventories,
maximize margins and plot overall business strategy. Good reps must also command a depth of product knowledge that
rivals tech reps and should be ready to
share insights on current market trends
on a local and national level to help customers manage their business, and also
come up with effective localized marketing strategies.
Jeff Antonio, national sales manager
for New Balance suggests that the role
of the sales rep is far broader today. “It’s
no longer a job where you show up two
to four times a year, take an order and
split,” he says. “The successful sales
reps are the ones who bring ideas to
retailers on how to grow the business.”
Indeed, according to sales execs in
the industry the sales rep function now
closely resembles that of a key account
manager or business consultant. While
it’s still critical to land a sale, planning and follow-through have become
much more important. Many are managing brands rather than their daily
call schedules.
Rick Wilhelm, VP of sales for specialty
retail accounts at Brooks Sports, notes
that it’s now more than just a sell-in pro10 PSR | performancesportsretailer.com
The retailer’s push
to drive for greater
analysis and driving
consumer demand has
transformed the role of
the sales rep By Thomas J. Ryan
cess. You have to manager sell through.
“You have to understand what the buyer
is trying to do and be able to analyze
their business,” explains Wilhelm. “They
want to understand what’s turning and
margins. If you say to a buyer, ‘This is
what was going on last month and this
is what I recommend that you do,’ they’ll
want to work much more with you than
that person that just gives last month’s
sell-through report with no analysis. It’s
not just the best price.”
The core relationship building process
has also become more involved. In addition to working more closely with buyers
and owners, the sales rep’s job often
entails training employees and working
alongside them on the sales floor. The
best reps participate in or create local
grassroots events to show their support
of the store and drive demand with the
end consumer.
But some things never change. The
job still requires a lot of persistence and
attention to detail.
“The job has changed tremendously
in many ways and in other ways it’s just
the same as it always was,” says Fran
Allen, SVP of global sales at Saucony.
“You need someone to get out of bed,
be able to work independently, and be
a self-starter. Someone who’s motivated
to succeed season after season and
who, quite frankly, wants to make more
money by working harder.”
TECHNOLOGY
RESHAPES THE ROLE
As with many jobs, technology has
been a huge driver by changing the way
sales reps function on a daily basis. Cell
phones, Blackberries, laptops, e-mails
and the Internet have all combined to
dramatically enhance external and internal communications as well facilitating
the spread of information. Spreadsheets,
order tracking, item set-up sheets, planograms and product information forms
dominate a typical day. For retailers and
dealers, many B2B sites have been set
up to provide a way to easily enter or
check orders on a 24/7 basis. Jim Hoff,
VP of sales for Asics America says, “The
expectation of everything anymore is
instantaneous.”
New software applications have also
enabled reps to better link marketing
and merchandise plans when conducting one-on-one sales presentations with
buyers. But perhaps the biggest innovation is how the Internet in helping reps
gain a better view of orders, inventories
and sell-through. This is proving particularly beneficial in helping reps plan
their retail customer’s business.
“Who hasn’t used Amazon at this
point to find holiday or birthday gifts?”
says Peter O’Neil, EVP of sales and marketing for Centerstone Technologies,
a provider of web-based B2B e-commerce solutions. “In the same manner
that consumers use the Internet to make
purchases, businesses also want to use
the Web to conduct business with their
suppliers on a 24/7 basis. It’s so much
easier, and these business owners can
conduct business when it is convenient
for them.”
For some, gaining access to point-ofsale data reporting and analysis from
platforms such as SportsScanINFO,
which is managed by the same parent
company as Performance Sports Retailer,
is proving to be invaluable in helping provide the analysis requested by
many retailers.
“The specialty retailer is no longer
just a guy who likes to run,” explains
James Hartford, chief market analyst
at The SportsOneSource Group. “There
are far more shop owners running their
stores as a sophisticated business
today, with real systems and a focus on
the basics such as inventory turn. They
also know that in today’s economy, the
competition can come from anywhere
a sporting goods store, a family footwear store, even a mid-tier department
store like Kohl’s. It’s critical that reps
have a whole market view so they can
better guide their retailers’ efforts to be
more successful.”
In general, larger retailers are looking
for more analysis of sell-through performance, gross margin performance, store
distribution maps and other key metrics.
Managing smaller accounts requires
a significant amount of time making
product presentations and follow up.
Providing extensive product knowledge
is also critical for independents.
At Saucony, Allen reports, “You have
to bring more expertise and sophistication to the big guys, and they’re going
to pretty much tell you what they want
based on the data they have coming into
the system. With the smaller accounts,
you have to do all the work. You may
even have to go into the stock room and
count all their boxes. They’re expecting
that.”
Hoff adds, “The independent store
owner can be little bit more casual and
a little bit more personal. There’s a bit
more of a professional approach when
working with what we’ll call the ‘big
box.’ The representations of the brand
are slightly different and the tools and
tactics to make presentations are a little
bit different. They use more technologies and might have to be more astute
with whom they try to attract to a meet-
ing and who they bring in for decisionmaking. But the salesmanship abilities
are exactly the same for big and small.
It’s really a change of tactics.”
With the downturn, these sales execs
say their rep force continues to stand as
a critical tool to bring new ideas in product and marketing to retailers to stimulate sales growth. Reps are also being
asked to do more and cover larger territories. Moreover, many frustrations over
the evolving role of the rep were voiced
in a recent survey of SportsOneSource
network members.
NEW CHALLENGES FOR REPS
According to the survey respondents,
the biggest challenge is being faced
by independent reps. Echoing the
sentiment of other respondents, Todd
Kausrud, principal of the Sports Alliance
rep group, says many stores seem to
have made up their mind what consumers want. “It seems to me that our
dealers used to do a lot more ‘selling’
and less ‘order taking,’” says Kausrud.
And this means that sales reps have to
figure out ways to influence and market
to end-users. He says, “This is very difficult, as additional expenses are incurred
and there are not enough hours in the
day.”
The other core observation was that,
while retailers are looking for reps to be
involved more in strategic planning, the
vendors aren’t giving them the tools to
do the analysis.
Kris Hartner, owner of Naperville
Running Co. in Naperville, IL, says, “I
would say over the last five years we’ve
been lucky enough to have several reps
that have taken their job to the next
level in many ways - in store visits,
working the floor, business planning,
finding incremental business, interacting with our staff and customers. On the
other hand, we still have a significant
number of reps who fail to show up on
time or follow through on promises or
return phone calls.”
Bob Cook, owner of the Runners Edge
in Farmingdale, NY, stated, “[I’m] not
happy that some companies don’t see
the importance of reps. My old reps are
great. The new reps suck!”
The sales execs interviewed by PSR
agreed that reps have to assure retailers
they have their best interests at heart for
the long term. This often involves going
the extra mile in servicing the account.
Allen offers, “Assuming we all make
great product, one way you win is you
service them to death.”
At Brooks, Wilhelm says success
comes down to showing the retailer
a commitment to growing their business. As an example, he often hears that
when working sales floors, Brooks reps
will often sell another vendor’s brand in
the spirit of meeting a customer’s need.
Unpaid, many also regularly support
their accounts at local running events.
“They’re going to remember how the
rep helped them fit shoes before the
running group took off or helped pull
inventory from the back room to get
ready,” he says. “When they see you can
bring value to the buyer or owner, you
become almost another employee and
they really want to work with you.”
Hoff says reps have to be wise enough
to suggest that a particular product isn’t
right for them to ensure that he has the
best interest of the store at heart when
presenting product to them. One core
challenge, according to Hoff, is that while
the reps must convince the retailer that
he’s working mainly for their best interest, he or she also has to convince the
vendor that he works largely for their
interest.
“In reality, if they don’t have a perfect
balance of 50/50, they’ll never be able to
keep their job and they’ll never be able
to represent their vendor and customer
properly. You’ve got a very, very significant balancing act in every single call,”
concludes Hoff.
performancesportsretailer.com | PSR 11
FEATURE
Designed for runners who require additional support, the Karhu Strong
Fulcrum Ride’s stability fulcrum proactively guides the foot to neutral.
The use of a carbon plate provides torsional stability and allows the foot
to smoothly follow its natural heel-to-toe gait cycle. MSRP $140.
Stable Shoes,
Stable Sales
the Last entry in a series
examining traditional
performance
footwear categories
By Emmaline Harvey
12 PSR | performancesportsretailer.com
Performance running shoes have traditionally been divided
into three categories: “neutral”, “motion control” and “stability”. In an attempt to differentiate themselves from a growing
number of competitors, performance running brands classify
their footwear with various names to fit corporate branding
positions and internal product definitions. Ads like “lightweight”, “support”, “structured cushioning”, “ultimate stability”, and others continue to blur the lines between segments.
In this issue, Performance Sports Retailer concludes a threepart series examining the major footwear segments with the
broadest of the categories: “stability”.
John Rogers, owner of Maine Running Company in Portland,
ME, says the stability category is by far the largest in his store
primarily because of the vast differences that can be found
within footwear classified as “stability”. “We’ve gotten into
a menu of products across the ‘stability’ category. Running
stores break it down into a spectrum – ‘moderate’, ‘upper
moderate’, ‘maximum’ and ‘blend’ categories [targeted to]
mild overpronators, “says Rogers.
Claire Wood, footwear product line manager at New Balance,
has a slightly different take on the success of the classification.
“The ‘stability’ category in technical running is always going to
be the strongest category. Most runners-especially new runners-
FEATURE
are going to have some biomechanical
deficiency,” she stresses.
Terry Schalow, product manager for
performance running at ASICS, which
has arguably the best-selling stability shoe with its Gel Kayano franchise
(ASICS calls it structured cushioning),
sees the category growing due to the
steady influx of new runners. “Studies
show that a majority of these newcomers overpronate to some degree,” says
Schalow. “The stability category has
siphoned away many of the runners who
formerly were prescribed motion control
shoes.”
While the “stability” category is consistently the top-selling category, performance footwear brand executives
acknowledge that the category has
changed very little over the past few
years, as technology innovations deliver
small improvements to the basic parts of
the shoe.
“I don’t think [the stability category]
has changed that much within the
industry,” remarks Karhu President
Jay Duke. “It was basically the same in
any running store 10 or 20 years ago.
Materials have generally gotten better
and there have been marginal improvements every year.”
Dan Longo, owner of Fleet Feet Sports
in Buffalo, NY, reports that footwear
in the “stability” category makes up
at least 75 percent of the store’s sales.
While the range of performance footwear covered by the category continues to expand, Longo sees very few
changes in the actual construction
of the shoes. “‘Stability’ is definitely
our biggest category and has been for
quite a while. I don’t think in general
that it’s changing very much. They are
very solid shoes that the companies
haven’t changed.”
Rick Wilhelm, vice president of specialty retail sales at Brooks Sports, says
14 PSR | performancesportsretailer.com
The stability category in
technical running is always
going to be the strongest category.
Most runners - especially new
runners - are going to have
some biomechanical deficiency.
claire wood, footwear product line manager, new balance
that stability innovations seem to be
internal for each brand, and no industry-wide manufacturing changes have
occurred.
While the materials may evolve
slightly from year to year, the biggest
technological improvements for stability
shoes over the past five years have been
the advancement in analyzing runners
and the natural motion of the foot while
running. “Across the board in the industry, you’re seeing foams getting lighter,”
continues Wood. “Geometry [is] improving [because as] the technology in terms
of viewing what’s going on with footstrike innovations and testing.”
Schalow says advances in gait measuring have influenced the way companies design shoes. “The flurry of
research advances in the field of biomechanics over the past several years has
had a major influence in design strategies intended to promote better stability,” he explains. “In the past year,
we’ve focused on research that points
out that gait tends to break down as
fatigue sets in, leading to poor efficiency, and in some cases, injury.
We’re now engineering platforms that
encourage the foot to maintain gait
efficiency throughout the entire run.”
Wilhelm adds, “As biomechanics
become more involved in footwear,
you can do more with less. Maybe
not to the extent of minimalistic, but
you can make the runner’s experience
what they need it to be.”
ASICS is capitalizing on this
advanced way of observing the runner
with this season’s line of stability
shoes. Schalow explains, ”Once we
have the foot set up in the most ideal
position possible, we’re actually creating an environment where the foot
can repeat whatever line of progression through the gait cycle is best for
the foot. The shoe encourages the repetition of that gait cycle for each individual runner. We want to make sure
we’re providing the right support and
stability for each individual foot.”
Brooks Sports, Inc. has made some
improvements on the materials used
in its running performance footwear,
including incorporating MoGo (a lighter
foam) and a progressive diagonal roll
bar (PDRB) in its stability shoes.
ECCO, which launched its ECCO
BIOM footwear in March 2009, is attempting to shake up
the way the industry views the stability category. The BIOM
line features stripped-down shoes focused on the minimalist theory - the idea of shoes promoting a natural, barefoot
feel.
David Helter, general sales manager, performance division at ECCO U.S.A, suggests that a number of studies and
a more advanced understanding of biomechanics have led
to a lot of experimentation in minimalist technology. He
explains, “The industry is contemplating the idea of ‘When
is less more?’ This has resulted in a host of alternative running footwear, which does not fall under the traditional categories of neutral, motion control or stability.”
Fleet Feet’s Longo supports the ECCO positioning as
important, due in large part to his success with the line. “If
anything’s going to change the category, it’s going to be the
move to minimalist,” he says. “There’s a tremendous amount
of interest in both the running and the triathlete community
as to whether or not barefoot is the future. We’ve sold 37
pairs of ECCO BIOMs in three weeks at almost $200 each.”
Another relative newcomer to running specialty in the U.S.,
Karhu offers two models of stability shoes, the Strong Ride
and the Stable Ride, and approaches its design in a unique
way. Duke describes the approach, “We look at it a little
The New Balance 769 is a moderate stability trainer designed for the mild to moderate overpronator.
The 769 features an ACTEVA LITE midsole, which is 24% lighter than standard foam. SRP $100.
“Studies show that a majority of
these newcomers overpronate
to some degree. The stability
category has siphoned away many
of the runners who formerly were
prescribed motion control shoes.”
Terry schalow, product manager, performance running, asics
differently. We look at stability in a more horizontal fashion.
The idea is if you work through shoes horizontally, it will help
the gait cycle.”
Although this approach may seem unusual, Duke insists
the shoes provide the same natural ride and feel of minimalist
shoes, just with a bit more security for the foot. “I think of it as
different from minimalist,” he adds. “Minimalist means I’m
going to give you a go-cart and go drive; with us it’s a more
natural ride but we’re going to make sure the engineering
is in tune.”
As definitions of the three major footwear categories continue to fluctuate, retailers find themselves facing the challenge of picking from a plethora of display options. Big Peach
Running Company in Georgia doesn’t even use the category
“stability” in their description of performance running shoes
anymore. Big Peach classifies the shoes by the degree of
stability they provide, and describes stability shoes that traditionally offer moderate or mild stability as “structured cushioning” shoes. Maine Running Company displays its shoes by
brand, then by category, but turns them inside
out so consumers can see the actual components of the
running shoes.
Wilhelm says the stability category’s popularity has
changed the way retailers approach fitting customers.
“Instead of looking at footwear as footwear only, [retailers]
are looking at it as a system,” he explains. “When you go
into a running store, you start with stability. Then, once you
start talking to someone, you may be directed elsewhere.”
Looking ahead, it’s certain that the three major performance footwear categories; “neutral cushioning”,
“motion control” and “stability” will continue to evolve
as performance running footwear brands increase their
understanding of biomechanics, materials science and
design philosophies. With continued innovation, performance sports retailers will have even more powerful options to offer their established customer base
as well as people taking up running for the first time.
performancesportsretailer.com | PSR 15
FEATURE
One Stop Shopping for
3,000 Running Specialty Products
Quality Bike Parts brings distribution expertise to performance sports retailers
As the credit markets tighten and specialty retailers get
squeezed on credit terms with their vendors, many are looking for solutions to keep their stores looking fresh and product flowing beyond the top four or five shoe brands. While the
use of distributors has been a pretty wide practice in the bike
and outdoor markets, the performance sports retailer has not
had ready access to many of the services of a distributor until
recently. Whether it was due to the fast pace of growth in the
market or the lack of available resources, the performance specialty retailer was comfortable working with established brands
and their local reps. A lot of that is expected to change.
Founded in 1981, Quality Bike Parts is the largest parts and
accessories distributor in the bicycle industry. Known within
the bike industry as QBP, the company serves over 5,000 dealers and manages more than 250,000 calls a year from a stateof-the-art, environmentally sustainable distribution center in
Bloomington, MN.
In the bike industry and many other business segments, centralized distribution is a widely embraced way of doing business. But it’s a business model that hasn’t previously existed
in the running specialty market.
In 2006, QBP launched a subsidiary called Q-Active to offer
distribution services to running specialty retailers. Q-Active
manager Frank Lundeen describes the differences between
bike and run specialty’s approach to distribution. “Retailers
realize that coming to one place for a lot of the products they
need is the most efficient way of doing business,” he says.
“Running retailers have been forced to go direct for literally
every brand. Instead of placing a small handful of purchase
orders, they are placing hundreds of purchase orders, receiving hundreds of purchase orders and paying hundreds of shipping bills. A lot of vendors are not very accurate when shipping
orders out. There are a lot of mistakes. Those are all challenges
that retailers face for which Q-Active has solutions.”
Q-Active offers running specialty retailers one-stop shopping for more than 80 different brand names and 3,000 different products. The products offered take advantage of existing
relationships carried over from QBP’s bike business, ranging
from nutrition, electronics, apparel, insoles, hydration, sunglasses and other accessories.
16 PSR | performancesportsretailer.com
By Louis Dzierzak
In addition to an annual printed catalog, retailers can order
products through a secure website. Q-Active also has a 22person customer service staff cross-trained to handle all of a
retailer’s questions with a single point of contact. Calling QActive a metrics-driven and goal-driven company, Lundeen
reports the average on hold time for a retailer’s call is 13 seconds. Any order placed before 4pm leaves the Q-Active facility the same day.
The company backs up the inventory services with sameday shipping on every order, a perfect order guarantee and
freight credit program.
Essma explains the benefits of the perfect order guarantee. “When you are getting orders from a number of different
vendors, you are bound to get a few inaccuracies,” comments
Essma. “Problems just happen. That’s something we’ve been
able to cut out. When a retailer gets something from us, we are
filtering out the little inaccuracies. If you are ordering from ten
different brands, you may get three problems that you have to
resolve in three different places. We are incredibly accurate.
Our error rate is less than 0.1 percent per 1,000 lines picked.
You are going to save a lot of time fixing problems that inevitably happen.”
Robert Smith, owner of Robert’s Running & Walking in
Huntington, WV, reports, “I’ve yet to have any issue with their
shipments. Anything I’ve ever ordered has been correct.”
Heidi Robb, a buyer at Start Line in Minnetonka, MN, orders
many of the products the store carries direct from manufacturer. But she agrees Q-Active has an edge in accuracy.
“Sometimes I just need a few things from different vendors,”
she says. “With Q-Active I can put those orders together and
usually can qualify for the free shipping. That saves me from
ordering a little bit from four to five different vendors and paying
shipping for all of those. Q-Active’s price is a little higher, but
in the long run it saves us because we aren’t paying for all the
extra shipping. She adds, “I’ve never had an order that was
wrong or missing anything. Q-Active does a better job in that
area [than the brands].”
Focusing on core competencies supports Q-Active’s business approach, says Lundeen. “Vendors do a phenomenal
job of product development, manufacturing and marketing
run catalog
09
Founded in 1981, Quality Bike Parts is the largest
parts and accessories distributor in thebicycle
industry. In 2006, QBP launched a subsidiary
called Q-Active to offer distribution services to
running specialty retailers.
product, but often times one of their
weaknesses is customer service and
order fulfillment. That’s our strength,” he
says. “The simple act of order consolidation and convenience saves shops a ton
of time and resources. In essence, shops
can spend their time serving their customers instead of stocking shelves.”
In addition to an efficient ordering
process and accurate delivery, Q-Active
gives specialty retailers access to brands
they may not be familiar with or product categories they don’t have time to
research effectively. Smith says the ability to review multiple lines gives him the
opportunity to increase sales. “Let’s be
honest. You are so busy all the time, you
don’t have time to open accounts with
every single person you want to buy
from,” he explains. “The ease of seeing
what you can buy and sell it definitely
broadens your scope. It’s a great way
to pick up ancillary products all in one
place. That’s been the biggest benefit to
me in terms of time saving.”
Robb notes that Start Line has
brought in additional product lines
simply because they are available with
Q-Active. “We are able to get things
quickly if we need to in order to respond
to customer requests for products that
we didn’t carry,“ he concludes.
Q-Active’s quick turnaround also
supports a specialty retailer’s customer
service. Robb says, “There you can get
things very quickly. If I can get my order
in one day, I can get the product the next
[day] for a customer”.
Smith suggests there is big upside in
taking a “try and buy it” approach with
key consumers. “We’ve had instances
where a customer comes in and wants to
try a Pearl Izumi shoe. If I don’t have that
in stock, I can get that quickly for them
to try out,” he says. “If the customer is
satisfied-even if you are not making the
same mark-up-it’s good because you
have a repeat customer who is happy
that you are there.”
performancesportsretailer.com | PSR 17
Managing inventory is especially
important to retailers with limited capital resources. Lundeen describes how
Q-Active’s distribution model affects
the bottom line. ”Retailers have flexibility to maintain fresh inventory and have
the products in stock that their customers want,” he explains. “Instead of totally
committing your entire season on a preseason order and rolling the dice, you can
order what you need when you need it
based on customer demand. If the hot
new product comes out mid-season,
you have the flexibility to bring that in
and turn your inventory.”
Q-Active’s relationship with retailers
is tightly focused on the distribution services. The company refrains from using
that offering as a way to pitch other
services. “There’s no aggressive selling
from us,” stresses Essma. “They use us
when they need us. We are not calling
them asking them if they need to place
an order today or telling them we have a
special. We don’t do any of that. We concentrate on the nuts and bolts. We get it
in stock, we have it for them when they
need it and ship it out on time.”
Essma acknowledges retailers may
pay a small premium for participating in
Q-Active, but points out that much of that
price differential is offset back through
freight savings. Lundeen notes, “Most
retailers we talk to are spending six or
seven percent of their dollars on freight
and that number is going up. Most of
our partner accounts are spending well
under one percent on freight simply
because of the power of order consolidation, and they are taking advantage of
our freight credit program.”
Smith offers, “There’s definitely a
mark-up going with Q-Active that I
don’t have when I’m going direct; but
there are trade-offs. There are certain
products that you are fortunate to get
through them even if you are paying a
little higher price. If I can get something
direct and pay a lot less being a small
business person, that’s usually worth it,
but Q-Active definitely has its spot in
our business.”
At
present,
Q-Active
works
with
approximately
50
running
Q-Active offers running specialty retailers one-stop shopping for
more than 80 different brand names and 3,000 different products
Nutrition
Shoe Laces, etc
Hammer
Powerbar
Clif
Spiro
Simbree
Speed Laces
Fuel Belt
Yankz
Electronics
Garmin Forerunner, Edge, and
Colorado series GPS units
Cateye Heart Rate Monitors
Sigma Sport Heart Rate Monitors
New Balance Electronics
Strollers
Bob Strollers
Burley
Hydration Equipment
Pearl Izumi Running Shoes
Camelbak
Fuel Belt
Nathan Winter Hydration Systems
Hydra-pak
Nalgene
Polar
Apparel
Skin Care Products
Pearl Izumi
Craft
Moving Comfort
TYR
Headsweats
Wigwam
DeFeet
Swix
Dermatone
Kinesys
2 Toms
Elite Ozone
Pure Blue
Paceline Chamois Butt’r
Grabber Body Warmers
Insoles
TYR
Adidas
Ironman
Optic Nerve
Shoes
Sock Guy
Conformables Insoles
Shock Doctor Insoles
specialty retailers. Expand the faction to include retailers that combine
running and multi-sport or triathlon offerings, and the number of
retailers exceeds 140.
Expanding that base requires education, outreach and a long-term perspective. Lundeen suggests that one of the
company’s biggest challenges is that
this kind of distribution doesn’t exist in
the run industry, so there’s quite a bit
of education that needs to happen. “At
first they don’t understand how this kind
of distribution can be advantageous to
them,” he says.
The faltering economy has forced retailers to take a harder look at all aspects of
their operations. Lundeen says taking
Eyewear
advantage of Q-Active’s distribution
services can have a significant impact
on profitability. “The run shops that are
having a strong year and seeing growth
are the folks who are running lean and
turning inventory on a regular basis,” he
explains. “The people that are struggling
are inventory-heavy.” Lundeen recalls a
benefit to inventory management offered
by a retail account, “Margins don’t do you
any good on the shelf,” he says.
Still used by a small cross-section of
specialty retailers, Q-Active may be leading a fundamental change in the way
retailers order running footwear, apparel
and accessories.
IQ
1
For March, dollar sales for 2
3
Running Footwear were:
a. Down low-single-digits
b. Up mid-single-digits
c. Flat
d. Down high-single-digits
Running Footwear sales grew the most in which sports retailer channel for March?
a. Full-Line Sporting Goods
b. Athletic/Urban Specialty
c. Internet/catalog
d. Sport Specialty
For March, average selling prices for Running Footwear were:
a. Down mid-single-digits
b. Up high-single-digits
c. Flat
d. Up mid-single-digits
4
5
6
Which brand saw the largest market share growth in Family Footwear for Non-Trail Performance Running in March?
a. Saucony
b. Nike
c. ASICS
d. Avia
Which brand had the top selling Non-Trail Performance Running shoe in Sports Retailers for the month of March?
a. Under Armour
b. ASICS
c. Nike
d. New Balance
For March, dollar sales for Running Apparel were:
a. Up mid-single-digits
b. Flat
c. Up low-single-digits
d. Down low-teens
6
Know More.NOW.
7
8
9
Which brand had the top selling Running Apparel product for March?
a. Under Armour
b. Nike
c. ASICS
d. New Balance
Which brand saw the largest market share growth in Running Apparel for March?
a. Nike
b. adidas
c. Under Armour
d. Reebok
Which brand had the top selling Trail Performance Running shoe in Sports Retailers for the month of March?
a. Salomon
b. Vasque
c. The North Face
d. ASICS
10 What section of Running Footwear had the highest growth among Sports Retailers in March?
a. Performance Non-Trail
b. Performance Trail
c. Fashion Trail Running
d. Better Fashion Running
A Service of The SportsOneSource Group
www.SportScanInfo.com
Answers:b, c, d, c, b, d, b, b, a, b
For more information about SportScanINFO contact
704.987.3450 SportScan@SportsOneSource.com.
NOTE: Answers are for trade channels covered by SportScanINFO only. Does not reflect specialty retail, better department stores, big box outdoor stores, Walmart or Target.
20 PSR | performancesportsretailer.com