by Larry Eder
The release from Brooks running was sent to us on Wednesday night. On my walk, I considered what the importance of Brooks taking the top position in November 2010 really was. What is significant about the release is that we have an illustration of how
highly competitive or nip and tuck the specialty running business is at this time. In 2009 and 2010, ASICS and Brooks shared the top two positions in running specialty, with Saucony, Mizuno, Nike and New Balance right behind them.
Brooks Running continues to astound. Strong product, Strong marketing, Investment in the brand, Custom service and communications, human capital. For any brand to have success, all of the above have to be part of the mix.
Watch the battle for run specialty get even more tight in 2011, as none of the top brands are going to want to give away any sales. In the end, as we have said before, and the top running specialty stores know too well, it comes down to selling one pair of running shoes at a time.
Brooks®
Sports Takes No. 1 Spot in Running Specialty
Running Brand
Finishes 2010 with Double-Digit Growth,
23% Backlog Increase
Bothell,
Wash. – January 13, 2011 – Leading running company Brooks Sports, Inc.
(www.brooksrunning.com) announced today it
overtook the No. 1 market share position in the specialty running channel for
November 2010. In data recently published by market research firm Leisure
Trends Group, Brooks’ total brand market share for November reached 18
percent in dollars, edging ahead of Asics, which has held the lead position
every month for more than a decade.
In a record-setting year for the running-only brand, Brooks
increased its 2010 overall brand sales revenue by 19 percent. Domestic revenue
saw a 23-percent jump relative to 2009, while Brooks’ international
business pulled in an annual revenue increase in excess of 11 percent.
“2010
was a fantastic year for the running industry and for Brooks. More people
ran, raced, worked out, and bought running shoes than ever before,” said Jim Weber, president and CEO of Brooks
Sports, Inc. “The running lifestyle will become increasingly
relevant in 2011 as more people seek personal health and well being. With the
run as our center of gravity, we’re excited this year to inspire more
people to run and be active by giving them new ways to amp their running
experiences.”
Brooks
conducted 64 percent of its 2010 domestic business with specialty running
retailers–credible editors of the best gear in the industry–who
fueled running footwear channel growth of 11 percent in pairs and 12 percent in
retail dollars through November 2010 according to Leisure Trends Group.
Outpacing industry growth, Brooks garnered the
highest market share percentage increase (3 percent) in 2010 relative to all
major running brands included in Sports Marketing Surveys USA’s
Fall 2010 Running Specialty Store Retail Sales Survey.
With the mission to be the leader in performance running, Brooks has
a substantial wind at its back. Following are additional 2010 business
highlights for Brooks:
- According to Leisure Trends
Group, in August the Brooks Adrenalineâ„¢ GTS became the top selling
shoe in the specialty running channel.
- According to the aforementioned
report by Sports Marketing Surveys USA, Brooks set the pace with
first-place rankings in Market Strength and Brand Strength for fall 2010.
Additionally, the survey reports Brooks took home gold in eight of 13
Brand Ratings of company and product performance attributes, including
In-House Customer Service, Performance Technology, Appeal of New Live vs.
Current Line, Profit to Dealer, Product Availability, and more.
§ Brooks’
“at-once” fill-in order trends, an indicator of retail sell-through
of products, drew a 14-percent domestic increase over 2009 in specialty running
accounts.
- Brooks was crowned “Vendor
of the Year” by Independent Running Retailer Association members
based on criteria including product consistency, customer service excellence,
and retailer profitability.
- Based on a recent internal brand
equity study conducted by Leisure Trends Group, with runners Brooks
achieved a net promoter score of 72 percent, the highest among major
running brands. A company’s net promoter score measures how
likely customers are to recommend the brand to friends or family members.
Brooks also saw a 9.7-percent increase in net promoter score
year-over-year, the greatest improvement among all major running brands.
- The Brooks Ghost 3–the
newest update of the brand’s popular neutral running shoe–took
home the preeminent “2010 International Editor’s Choice”
award by the worldwide authority on running, Runner’s World.
Domestic sales of Brooks’ shoes in the neutral category–the
largest running shoe category–increased 46 percent in 2010.
- Other notable industry awards
Brooks shoes nabbed in 2010 include “Editor’s Choice”
for the Glycerin® 8 (Runner’s World, March),
“Editor’s Choice” for the Ghost 3 (Runner’s
World, September, and Endurance Sports Media Group, Fall),
“Best Update” for the Adrenalineâ„¢ GTS 11 (Runner’s
World, December).
With 2010 ending on a high note, Brooks’ 2011 momentum is at
an all-time high. For spring, Brooks’ global backlog is up 23 percent and the
outlook for the rest of the year shows no sign of fatigue. To address brand
growth momentum, Brooks Sports, Inc. plans to bolster its bench with more than
50 new hires worldwide in 2011.
About Brooks
Brooks Sports, Inc. is a leading running company that designs and markets a
line of performance footwear, apparel, and accessories in more than 60
countries worldwide. A subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway Inc., Brooks was
founded in 1914 and is headquartered in Bothell, Wash., near Seattle. The
company’s mission is to inspire everyone to run and be active by creating
innovative gear that keeps them running longer, farther, and faster. Visit www.brooksrunning.com for more
information, and follow frequent brand updates on Twitter (@brooksrunning) and
Facebook (Brooks Sports).
