After giving an energized educational program at the 2021 edition of The Running Event detailing 101 creative marketing ideas, savvy business decisions, community outreach endeavors and clever partnerships run shops have activated to propel business, Running Insight senior writer Danny Smith returns to TRE’s educational slate in 2024 offering 101 additional ideas to motivate and inspire run shops.
“I’m beyond thrilled to have the opportunity to present at TRE and spotlight the creative, interesting and noble things run shops are doing to drive their respective businesses,” Smith says. “The fact I’m able to share a fresh list of 101 additional things running stores have done to connect with customers, engage their communities, enhance operations and drive brand awareness is an absolute testament to the enterprising and industrious spirit of running stores.”
Smith, who began penning stories for Running Insight in 2012 after a nine-year stint working at America’s oldest run specialty store, scoured his research notes and past stories to craft his TRE 2024 program, a process he describes as simultaneously “daunting and inspiring.” He hopes the fast-paced program – Smith will have to share at least two ideas every minute – stirs attendees’ imaginations, fuels brainstorming sessions with staff and drives purposeful action.
“There’s no shortage of creativity, intelligence and entrepreneurial grit in the run specialty retail world,” Smith says. “My goal at TRE is to showcase that by providing tangible ideas run shop leaders can adapt and apply to their own businesses, all of the ideas culled from the ingenuity and action of their fellow running stores.”
Among the ideas Smith will highlight during his TRE 2024 program:
• A Milwaukee-based run shop’s clever way to package socks and stimulate sales around Mother’s Day.
• How a Michigan running store’s public recognition of a staff member spurred a running retail career.
• A varied collection of unique topics for in-store educational programming.
• An Iowa running store’s unique play to increase sales of sports bras.
• The singular, straightforward question a Las Vegas run shop leans on to power insole sales.
• From one Texas-based, trail-oriented running shop, a branded group run that builds community and enables the shop to highlight various in-store products.
• Multiple themed product bundles designed to boost the average ticket.
• Dynamic fun run ideas to break the monotony of the routine group run, such as Run Newport’s prom-inspired cover photo jaunt to a waterfront gazebo on the same evening of the local high school’s prom.
• How two run shops leveraged the talents of local college students to drive merchandising and operations, respectively.
• Why one of America’s most well-regarded run shops decided to slice its weekly operating hours about 20 percent, including closing on Sundays.
“Running retailers are some of the most entrepreneurial, enterprising individuals I have ever met, not to mention a wonderfully collegial, collaborative group, and this presentation is a celebration of that reality,” Smith says. “I hope my TRE program emboldens run shops to take different ideas they hear and shape them to fit their own store and market, so they can elevate their brand, improve performance and deepen relationships with customers.”
