Toning, Toning, Toning!

 

 

Toning footwear feels like a transformative category for the “Teens.”

 

Based on retail point-of-sale data compiled by SportScanInfo, sales of toning footwear will exceed $300 million at retail in 2009 and are projected north of $1 billion, perhaps as high as $2 billion in 2010.  Every channel is experiencing success with the new emergent category.

 

Our industry is littered with bottle rockets of great new ideas: Rollerblades, scooters, wheeled footwear, and molded sandals.  Each of them were items that exploded on the scene, brought traffic and hype to our stores and then very quickly fizzled out.
How do we prevent Toning from this awful fate? Here are some thoughts on how to build and maintain this emergent category:

 

1) Think big.  We need a big idea to keep this train roiling.  How about “Fitness Walking”?  Not every customer wears the same shoe for a particular activity.  Not every customer will wear a toning shoe. So let’s broaden the idea, so more items and brands can share in the success.  We will welcome more customers into this “new” activity of walking, creating a larger and more sustainable platform. Imagine if we could get America walking, like we got America jogging in the ‘70’s.

 

2) Let the customer guide us. If we limit ourselves to just a few brands or a few technologies, we will put too much stress on them and likely burn them out.  Retailers should try every new idea (in a testing, limited way) that comes along and let the customer tell us who the winner is.  Ten years ago, I remember a retailer telling me how great his Under Armour business was.  I told him he was missing the point:  The story was much bigger than just Under Armour, it was about performance apparel.  I suggested he try every brand that came long, and get a read from his customer.  Sure, Under Armour was the biggest brand in performance apparel, but the category was much bigger than just one brand.

 

3) Stop dithering over whether it works or not. What’s important is that the customer BELIEVES it works so half your job as a retailer is already done.  Maybe even more important is that toning footwear gets America off the sofa and doing a physical activity! 

 

4) Don’t play the price game.  Liquidations are sky high on these shoes. Inventory levels cannot keep up with demand. Price is not going to move more shoes. Playing games with pricing will kill this category before it has a chance to flourish. Brands should avoid those brand killing retailers. You know who they are…

 

5) Overplay the idea.  Yes, overplay the idea. Retailers should be devoting key real estate to fitness walking.  Hit the customer over the head with the concept as soon as they come in the store. Brands should overspend on marketing.  Marketing clearly moves the needle here. 

 

6) Play up the community angle.  Think about walking clubs, maybe offering discounts or free t-shirts. Support charity walking events. Hold clinics on how to select the right walking shoe.  What accessories are right for this category?

 

7) Figure out an apparel strategy.  Apparel gives an opportunity to add on and legitimize the activity.  There are plenty of brands to be merchandised alongside this category.

 

Let’s see if our industry can show a little maturity and not kill off an emergent business but create a large and sustainable platform for growth.  With average retail selling prices pushing $100 this will be very difficult to anniversary next year if it goes away too soon.