BOTHELL, Wash.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--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 Adrenaline™ 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 Adrenaline™ 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).