The Anatomy of a Top-Tier Running Retailer

Specialty run retail has always been a competitive business, but a select few have sprinted to the front of the pack, earning them the loyalty of customers and partners — and winning accolades in the industry.

Each year, The Running Event (TRE) honors the best running stores in the country at its November trade show and conference. It highlights 50 or more leading retailers, with the winner announced at its awards dinner.

TRE event director Christina Henderson said the process of selecting the winner has become tougher in recent years because stores have elevated the way they cater to and connect with customers.

Scott Dvorak, owner of Charlotte Running Co. in North and South Carolina (which won the award in 2021), agreed: “When you look at the top-tier stores, it’s really competitive.”

In fact, in the award’s 16-year history, there has only been one two-time Best Running Store winner: Naperville Running Co. in Illinois.

The selection process, Henderson explained, starts with customer nominations. “This year, we got nearly 15,000 customer nominations for these stores,” she said. From there, an evaluation form is sent to all of those nominated, which “paints a picture of the store” for TRE. The last step is a secret shop of 100 stores, done through the third-party partner Franklin Retail.

This process, however, is reviewed and updated every year. “What makes a good running store is evolving,” Henderson said. “We revisit it every year. What would make this fairer? How would this be more inclusive? We’re constantly asking for feedback and receiving feedback from retailers.”

Here, past winners of TRE’s Best Running Store award reveal five essential elements to becoming top tier.

1. FOCUS ON CULTURE

“It all starts with culture. It’s having consistency with the customers. Each customer that comes in is getting a consistently great experience, and that only happens with a consistent culture and training. And employees [need to] feel valued and that their needs are being taken care of, whether it’s financially or with health care.” — Dvorak

2. RESPECT YOUR VENDORS

“Pay your vendors and pay your rent. It’s not always something that people could control, but it is my foundation. If I can no longer do that, I will close our store, hard stop. I said that after the first year, if we’re not hitting our goal — and our goal was very conservative — I’m done. And treat your vendors, your customer service people, the salespeople associated with your account with respect, be appreciative of them and thank them. Eight years on the vendor side helped give me gain that perspective because I dealt with some tough, big-volume accounts.” — Kris Hartner, owner, Naperville Running Co.

3. GO BEYOND THE TRANSACTION

“A key ingredient for my business is ensuring that the interaction is not transactional, like what a client receives at a big-box store. Even in brick-and-mortar, it’s easy to have a great experience with your client and then walk behind the counter, where they hand over a card or cash and you hand them a bag. Without cash wraps in our stores, we complete sales on iPads, which we also use for our 3D-fit process. Sitting face-to-face in a comfortable, conversational setting makes for an ‘I’ll be back’ experience. Information plus education, while letting the client talk, builds this relationship. This approach offers us a 98 percent email capture rate, which allows us to be engaged with the client in many ways. We want to be in their head.” — Megan Searfoss, owner, Ridgefield Running Co., Darien Running Co., DRC at Chelsea Piers and Brookfield Running Co.

4. REMEMBER THAT YOUR PEOPLE IS WHAT YOU’RE SELLING

“While a technical fit is important, that is not why we win. We win because we make our customers feel good and create an environment where people want to be. The most important part of that environment is the team members who interact with guests. Yes, they need technical knowledge, but more importantly they need to be motivational, positive, excited and encouraging. We have the opportunity to change our customers’ days for the better with every interaction. It is a privilege and a huge responsibility.” — Josh Levinson, founder and chief executive officer, Charm City Run

5. FORM GENUINE RELATIONSHIPS

“We create relationships with customers so they come back wanting more. And we’re embedded in the community through donations, events and experiences. Creating strong customer relationships creates loyalty. Our employees form bonds with the customer just as much as the customer forms bonds with the employee. Developing strong relationships is a pillar of our store.” — Meg Brooker, footwear buyer and operations manager, The Runner’s Edge

About the Author

Peter Verry is the Senior News and Features Editor for Athletic and Outdoor at Footwear News. He oversees coverage of the two fast-paced and ultracompetitive markets, which includes conducting in-depth interviews with industry leaders and writing stories on sneakers and outdoor shoes. He is a lifelong sneaker addict (and shares his newest purchases via @peterverry on Instagram) and spends most of his free time on a trail. He holds an M.A. in journalism from Hofstra University and can be reached at peter.verry@footwearnews.com.