Can Outdoor Specialty Retailers Conquer the Booming Running Market?

The running market has always been hyper-competitive, but new retail challengers from the outdoor world are raising the stakes for players in the space. For the past three years, the running category has been the footwear industry’s biggest success story. As gyms closed amid the pandemic, a staggering number of people began lacing up their running shoes to head outside — and many are sticking with it. It’s led to major sales wins for running stores. And now outdoor specialty retailers are looking for a bigger piece of the action. Last year, for instance, outdoor retail giant REI Co-op announced plans to bolster its running selection and said it would invest in a multiyear strategy to further growth in the category. And the Public Lands banner from Dick’s Sporting Goods considers running an equal priority with outdoor in terms of merchandising. When Outdoor Retailer made its return to Salt Lake City this week, Matt Powell, senior sports industry adviser with The NPD Group, explained to a room of brands and retailers that outdoor specialty retail has experienced great gains in running, and that he expects the trend to continue. “Outdoor retailers have figured out that their consumers are running for fitness, to stay fit, and

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