Runners prefer to get their shoes from
specialty running stores over online retailers and sporting goods
stores. That’s according to the Karhu Runners Industry Report, the
first in a new ongoing research series from running shoe company Karhu,
in partnership with Brookmark Research Services.
The company surveyed 725 runners to find out which factors influenced
them most when purchasing running shoes. Half (49 percent) the
respondents typically purchased shoes from a running specialty store,
ahead of online retailers (32 percent) and major sporting goods stores
(11 percent).
The top three reasons customers shopped specialty running stores was for
the product knowledge and running expertise of the customer service
rep, along with overall customer service. Meanwhile, price,
convenience, and selection ranked as the top three reasons customers
shopped both online retailers and sporting goods stores.
And while many brick-and-mortar stores are bemoaning the “showrooming”
trend which has customers shopping a traditional retailer before making a
final purchase online, only one in eight survey respondents said they
made a habit of that.
When asked to indicate their major opinion influencers in a purchase
decision, twice as many runners pointed to store running specialists (48
percent) versus online shoe reviews (22 percent) or even advice from
friends (20 percent).
“We know that running shoe specialists are key to finding the right fit
for your foot and running style, and we want to support this customer
service model,” said Karhu President & CEO, Huub Valkenburg.
“That’s why Karhu will now be providing our specialty running store
retailers with exclusive early product drops so they can lead the market
with the latest in Karhu design and technology. We’ll also continue to
invest in these specialists with knowledge clinics and education.”
Not surprisingly, fit is far and away the number one feature driving
purchase decisions with 54 percent ranking it their number one factor,
followed by support at 16 percent. When combining results to factor in
customers’ top three purchase drivers, the most sought-after features
were fit (84 percent), support (49 percent), cushioning (37 percent),
and lightweight (32 percent). Only 4 percent of customers cited price
as their number one factor and only 23 percent placed it in their top
three.
More than half the runners surveyed said they didn’t have a particular
running style (30 percent) or were unsure (24 percent) of their style.
Of those who did identify with a running style, efficient running was
most common (18 percent), followed by natural running (16 percent), and
forefoot running (8 percent). Almost none of the respondents identified
with heel drop or chi running techniques.
In addition, nearly all respondents (94 percent) reported running at
least two days per week; more than half (56 percent) reported running
four or more days per week. Respondents reported an average spend of $99
for a pair of running shoes, while the number of pairs purchased per
year was divided almost equally among four or more pairs (29 percent),
three pairs (29 percent), and two pairs (27 percent).
