Home >01-18-2012 Brooks Sports’ PureProject Tops Running Shoe Leaderboard Out of the Blocks
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Brooks Sports’ PureProject Tops Running Shoe Leaderboard Out of the Blocks

Leading Running Brand Finishes Year With Double Digit Growth, Top Honors From Retail Accounts and Runners

Bothell, Wash. – January 18, 2012

Brooks Sports, Inc. crossed the finish line for 2011 leading overall brand market share in the specialty running channel (SRA) for the twelfth straight month, according to Leisure Trends Group’s Run Specialty RetailTRAK™. Brooks' continued growth in the space was amplified in late 2011 by the October launch of PureProject, the brand’s collection of lightweight running shoes. PureProject sales vaulted Brooks to the top spot in October and November 2011 with 33 percent market share in the minimalist running shoe category, according to Leisure Trends. This was fueled by sales of the PureCadence, which became the best-selling minimalist shoe at SRA for the same two-month period.

Also experiencing significant growth was Brooks entire footwear line. In 2011, Brooks' total U.S. footwear sales rose 39 percent, bolstered in part by three styles experiencing triple-digit growth: Ghost (up 134 percent), Trance (up 114 percent) and Ravenna (up 100 percent). Not to be outdone, the Brooks top seller, the Adrenaline GTS (up 23 percent in the U.S.), retained its position as the No. 1 shoe at SRA in 2011, also according to Leisure Trends.

"2011 marked a fantastic year for Brooks as we made great headway toward our quest to become the next billion-dollar brand in running. We remained steadfast on providing best-in-class product and service to customers and found new ways to successfully connect with runners ‘round the globe," said Jim Weber, president and CEO of Brooks Sports, Inc. "Making 2011 even more exceptional, we capped off the year with the global launch of PureProject. From R&D to design to launch, we approached the lightweight market with a unique point of view that combined runner insights, proprietary technologies, biomechanics, and beautiful design. Initial sales numbers and consumer excitement support that our instincts were right on track."

Validating the sales growth seen on the footwear side, Brooks’ Trance 11 and PureFlow today received awards by worldwide authority on running, Runner’s World. In the magazine’s Spring Shoe Guide found in the March issue, the Trance 11 earned the coveted "Editor’s Choice" award and the PureFlow was announced as a "Best Buy."

Brooks’ footwear momentum wasn’t the only high point for Brooks in 2011, other business highlights include:

  • Brooks increased its 2011 overall brand sales revenue by 34 percent, relative to 2010.
    •   - Domestic revenue jumped 37 percent.
      - International business increased more than 26 percent.
  • Brooks’ “at-once” fill-in order trends, an indicator of retail sell-through of products, drew a 23 percent domestic increase over 2010 in SRA.
  • Industry organizations publicly extolled Brooks and its products with coveted honors.
    •   -The Independent Running Retailer Association (IRRA) members crowned Brooks "Vendor of the Year" based on criteria including product consistency, customer service excellence, and retailer profitability. The IRRA also named the Brooks Adrenaline GTS "Shoe of the Year."
      -Fleet Feet Sports crowned Brooks "2011 Supplier of the Year" at its annual National Franchise Conference in June for providing excellent product, support, and services. Fleet Feet also noted last year Brooks became the first brand to log more than $20 million in sales across its 90-store franchise network.
  • According to Leisure Trends 2011 Run Specialty Distribution Study, 37.5 percent of specialty running store owners and managers use Brooks when they run, more than three times the next prefered brand.
  • In the recently released Sports Marketing Surveys Running Specialty Store Sales Survey for fall 2011, Brooks received top honors from a panel of 75 store owners nationwide for Brand Strength Forecast, Market Strength Forecast, Average Dealer Confidence and Unweighted Footwear Market Share, as well as 12 of 17 Brand Ratings:
  •   - Performance Technology;
      - Credibility with Serious Runners;
      - Overall Product Appeal New Line vs. Current Line;
      - In House Customer Service;
      - Accuracy of Delivery (At-once);
      - Product Availability (At-once);
      - Accuracy of Delivery (Advance);
      - Product Availability (Advance);
      - Speed of Delivery (At-once);
      - Speed of Delivery (Advance);
      - Profit to Dealer;
      - Sales Rep Support;
      - Company’s Terms/Policies;
      - Overall Mean Rating.

    With 2011 ending with a bang, Brooks’ 2012 momentum is at an all-time high. For spring, Brooks’ global backlog is up 45 percent and the outlook for the rest of the year shows no sign of fatigue.

    For more information about Brooks' performance running footwear, apparel, and accessories, please visit www.brooksrunning.com.

    About Brooks
    Brooks 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 Running).



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