For run specialty retailers, perfecting their product assortment season to season is critical to success. Brand buzz, product innovation and consumer demand all play a part in deciding which products make it into the mix on the salesfloor. When deciding to bring a new brand into their shops, retailers tell us, it is about more than just metrics and numbers. Here, retailers share their thoughts on what makes a brand stand out from the crowd.

What are you looking for when seeking out new brands to add to your store’s mix?

“Several things: 1) We haven’t done trade shows, so I really rely on sales reps making the rounds. It is a lot easier for me to order from a sales rep with whom we establish a relationship with. Kiprun seems very interesting as a new brand, but we have yet to have a rep come through, so we haven’t gotten those in. 2) It does help when a new brand (or model) is in use by high-profile athletes. For example, Nnormal would not have been on our radar if it hadn’t been for Kilian Jornet. 3) The first two are helpful, but if the shoe doesn’t feel nice to me, it’s really hard to place that first order. 4) We definitely ‘wait and see’ what happens sometimes. For Norda, I was reluctant to get our first order, but we just had so many customers asking about the brand that eventually we got them in.”  - Phil Kochik, owner, Seven Hills Running

“We’re always looking for new brands that drive excitement within our community, getting people talking. When we go to trade shows, one of our biggest priorities is checking into all of the small startup brands that we haven’t seen before. If we’re not constantly evolving and finding new products, our shops get stale. We’re always watching what runners are wearing to our group runs and races, what people are talking about at our pub runs or track workouts. And we monitor Instagram accounts across the industry and message with stores in areas similar to ours, watching for those trends that are popping up outside our own shops.” - Eric Fruth, co-owner, Columbus Running Company

“When looking for new brands we look for something with a different fit or last, models that separate themselves from what we already carry. For us, the process is to have our team try the models and conduct a thorough review of fit, feel, and performance.”- Peter Van Gansen, co-owner, Run With Us

“Styles or brands that have a different product then I already carry. I don’t really need repeats of the products I already stock. I usually test the products to see if we like them and make sure they fit with our assortment. I find new brands at The Running Event and other places, as well as by word of mouth.” - Trey Vernon, owner, Manhattan Running Company

“Lately, one of the key things I’m focusing on is: what is that brand’s own sales strategy? Am I going to be competing with that brand for the same customer? We’ve all had plenty of experience where a growing brand hits the ambassadorship hard. Then we find ambassadors showing up to events that we host and undercutting us as a retailer. I’ve also been leaning more heavily into some local brands. We have local options for fuel now. One is a powdered drink; the other is a gel. We also have a local couple who began making their own anti-chafe balm. This speaks very strongly to me because of that ‘shop local’ connection.

When it comes to the bigger categories like footwear, it’s important that the product performs. Performance will always outweigh marketing in our shop.” - Justin Craig, owner, RUNdetroit

Giving a Brand the Green Light

Retailers tell us one of the main reasons they say “Yes” or “No” to adding a brand to their product mix centers around customer service and how good communication is  with the brand. And, of course, product quality and “newness” are musts.

First impressions are huge in the brand/retail relationship, notes Peter Van Gansen from Run With Us. “Customer service is just as important as shoe performance,” he says. “How are the shoes presented to us? Do they have samples? Do they ship on time? How’s their inventory? Et cetera.”

A brand understanding a store’s unique needs is also a plus. “It is definitely a ‘No’ when the brand tells me exactly what I have to carry,” says Justin Craig of RUNdetroit. “Our market and demographics are going to be different than other retailers. Some of the biggest footwear brands do not want to let us choose our assortment and that is a non-starter for me. We are a performance run and walk shop. So, for us it does not matter what their number one selling item is, if it’s not being purchased by active runners and walkers.”

While a ‘No’ can be determined based on price and style, the biggest turnoff is “a lack of quality,” says Phil Kochik, Seven Hills Running. He adds, “Narrow fitting shoes have been hard for us to sell so those also are looked at with skepticism. And it is also easier to pass on shoes marketed for trail racing. Comfort sells. Speed looks nice on the wall but generally sits and doesn’t sell. Things that make a shoe a ‘Yes’ are good traction, good fit; good cushion, and a price under $200.”

Brands that prioritize the running specialty channel stand the best chance of being a “Yes.” Eric Fruth, Columbus Running Company, explains, “We want to know that working with stores like ours matters to the brand, that we’re factoring into their business plan. But most of all, we’re looking for brands that stand out. Who uniquely solves a customer’s problem? Who is bringing a fresh look into our shops?”

Fruth adds, “The brands that we say no to are the ones that you can barely differentiate from their competitors. We don’t need another sock brand with the same look and the same product highlights as everyone else. We need brands that put their own stamp on their product categories.”

Hot Takes: Categories on the Rise (and Decline)

“Nutrition and socks are both very saturated markets. Compression seems to be losing momentum.”- Trey Vernon, Manhattan Running Co.

“We’re continuing to see growth in insoles and socks, led by Currex, Feetures, and CEP. We’re excited to see growth with some more premium apparel brands like Bandit.  On the other side, we’ve seen a slowdown with some electronics over the past few years. Customers can find percussive massagers and bone-conducting headphones in a lot of retail spaces these days. Those were once more novel to a few limited channels, but our sales slowed down as those items started showing up in big box stores and everywhere else.” - Eric Fruth, Columbus Running Company

“We have seen an uptick in the high-end racing product. This goes back to our focus on performance run and walk. Many shops do not carry much selection in this category so the customer who is curious about it typically does not have a place to go to experience these pinnacle products firsthand.  On the other hand, I’m not even pretending that trail is a category that I need to invest in anymore. I am very much a city-based shop. For several years, brands were really trying to get shops to lean into trail. But it’s just not my market, and the product sits on the shelves and ends up only being sold during closeout.” - Justin Craig, RUNdetroit

“Losing momentum: 1) plated trail racing shoes over $250; 2) zero-drop footwear.  Gaining momentum: 1) dependable traction on medium to high stack trail shoes with softer uppers and a great out-of-the-box feel.”- Phil Kochik, Seven Hills Running

Brands Bringing Newness at Run Specialty

“Mount to Coast has shot on the scene. We were in a wait-and-see mode when they only had two models R1 and P1. At the end of 2024, after a sales rep stopped by and showed us the T1 and pictures of the H1, I immediately placed orders… and they have sold well. Mount to Coast is on fire now and if orders aren’t placed early you might miss out.” -Phil Kochik, Seven Hills Running

“We brought Topo in a little less than a year ago and they have been a great addition. We wanted something between Altra and everyone else. We also had a podiatrist that was sending people in for them. We also just brought in Skechers. We are starting with the Slip-in, which we wanted to see if our customers wanted and the Razor.” -Trey Vernon, Manhattan Running Co.

“We added Hylo to our footwear wall early last year. They’re bringing a different aesthetic and a different worldview into the industry with their sustainability pitch, and that unique approach gets us excited. A brand like that provides a lot of storytelling opportunities. That makes it easier for us to get staff excited about pulling a brand and it gives us a memorable hook that sticks with our customers.” -Eric Fruth, Columbus Running Co.

“Some of the brands gaining momentum would be Asics and 361; they are very good at supporting their retailers as well as having good inventory for fill-ins, which is so important.”-Peter Van Gansen, Run With US