TRE 2024 attendees are in for a real treat when retail savant Johnny Cupcakes takes the stage for this year’s keynote presentation. He will be sharing his unpredictable story on creating The World’s First T-shirt Bakery — a food-themed T-shirt brand with a clothing store on Boston’s Newbury Street that looks like a bakery and smells like a bakery, where T-shirts are displayed in refrigerators, packaged in lunch boxes and pulled out of a secret smoking oven!

That certainly sounds like someone from whom run specialty retailers can learn a thing or two!

TRE attendees will have the opportunity to hear specific, proven ideas, strategies and insights from Johnny — many of which can be implemented into stores quickly and with minimal cost.

Johnny sat down (virtually) with Running Insight editor Michael Jacobsen to share some of his own insights and provide hiw own sneak peek into what retailers can expect to learn from his keynote presentation.

“Although I trick hangry people daily with my fakery, 100 percent of my customers leave with an experience and a story to share,” Cupcakes (real name: Johnny Earle) says. “At TRE, I’ll be sharing my secret ingredients to Building Brand Loyalty, Inspiring Innovation and Creating Unique Experiences in retail.”

Running Insight: You sell T-shirts in a very creative way. How does that translate to what TRE24 attendees – the run specialty retailers – do in their businesses every day?

Johnny Cupcakes: There is an abundance of clever ways to remix the retail experience — from packaging and storytelling to special events, merchandising and displays in physical shops, pop-ups and event digital selling. After attending my presentation, attendees will have a creative recharge and be able to see things in Cupcake-Vision.

What do you see as the strength of run specialty retailers?

They have community, tradition and grit baked into their business. And it goes without saying that they specialize in one theme, which makes them a trusted source.

Your store is right around the corner from Marathon Sports in Boston. Do you get to interact with them much?

I’ve popped in a couple of times but haven’t had a chance to meet the operators and team behind it. It’s definitely a Boston staple.

One of your tenets is that your $10,000 mistakes often turn into $100,000 successes. What can other specialty retailers learn from that way of thinking?

Failures are experiments and experimenting is how we grow. There are valuable lessons, data and inspiration in every one of our mistakes. Looking at them with a different lens can provide room for innovation.

Can you share one specific example of your creative retailing ideas with our readers now that you may mention in your keynote? 

Pop-up shops! They are an exciting thing that works both ways. You can host pop-ups in your space to make extra sales and build community. Even better, you can pop-up at events, festivals and empty storefronts for flexible pricing.  

How have you done this?

One time I did a full U.S. pop-up tour around October and called it The Coffin Tour where we sold special spooky T-shirts out of coffins and set each event up like a haunted house. I’ve also sold T-shirts out of ice cream trucks packaged like ice cream, suitcases, pizza boxes and more. Everyone loves a good theme. And if rent becomes a growing obstacle, this is a zesty way to juggle sanity, cash flow and to have a presence without saying goodbye.

What one – or two or three – things can attendees at your keynote speech at TRE24 expect to take away back to their stores?  

Simple and effective ways to remix their products, marketing, events and collaborations. 

What question would you like a TRE24 attendee to ask you if they come across you after your presentation?  

“How are you with your grieving process?” I lost my mom this year and she was my partner in crime. I started adding her saying inside my T-shirts: “Being Kind is Free.”

Off the top of your head, what would make for an interesting run-related T-shirt for The Running Event? Perhaps a cupcake with sneakers — or something even more creative?  

We have done something similar in celebration of big local running events in Boston. We’ve also done T-shirts packaged in mini sneaker boxes. T-shirts that come with Johnny Cupcakes sweatbands, duffel bags and water bottles, too.

Finally, any chance you will be hanging around The Running Event to run in the 5K Thursday morning?  

Attendees will likely catch me the day following my talk. If they see me running, it will likely be to the nearest ice cream shop.