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Report Reaffirms Brooks® as a Frontrunner in Specialty Running

Running Company Earns No. 1 in Dealer Confidence Ratings by Independent Survey

Bothell, Wash. – Nov. 13, 2007

According to the recently released Sports Marketing Surveys USA’s Running Specialty Store Sales Survey, performance running company Brooks Sports, Inc. sets the pace with a first-place Dealer Confidence standing in the specialty running industry. Additionally, the fall 2007 survey reports Brooks moved ahead of the pack in Brand Ratings, taking home gold in five of 11 company and product performance categories.

To determine these rankings, Sports Marketing Surveys conducted in-depth phone interviews with 75 specialty running store owners and managers throughout the U.S. Panelists rated their suppliers on various quantitative and qualitative attributes.

The current survey reveals the following about Brooks:

• For the second season in a row, Brooks takes top billing in the survey’s Dealer Confidence Index, which measures retailers’ overall impressions of each brand and the company it represents. 
  
  
• For the tenth consecutive season, Brooks leads the pack with No. 1 Brand Ratings for in-house customer service and product delivery. Brooks also ranks No. 1 in profit to dealer, sales rep support, and segmentation. 
  
  
• Brooks ranks No. 2 in the survey’s respected Market Strength Forecast, which formulates each brand’s predicted strength as reported by all running specialty stores that participate in the panel, regardless of whether they carry the brand in question. 

“At Brooks, our goal is to offer our specialty running accounts a positive experience with our brand by providing top-notch service and quality running products they can trust,” said Brooks Vice President of Sales Rick Wilhelm. “We appreciate the recognition our dealers gave us with these brand momentum ratings. They show that Brooks is continuing in the right direction.”

In addition to this survey, Sports Marketing Survey USA’s Running Specialty Store Retail Audit Report for third-quarter 2007 reveals Brooks earned a 1.9 percentage point increase in market share since second-quarter 2007. Brooks’ market share has grown nearly 4 percentage points since first-quarter 2005 according to this monthly industry report.

Brooks sells nearly 80 percent of its gear in the specialty running retail environment—a strategic focus that has driven 15 consecutive quarters of double digit growth for the brand in this channel. Brooks’ current sales figures also reflect its specialty channel strength reported in this survey:

• While the specialty running marketing has grown 8.8 percent year-to-date through August 2007, Brooks outpaced it with 13.9 percent growth for the same time period.
  
  
• Brooks’ 2007 third-quarter sales and units sold were up 22 percent and 19 percent respectively, relative to the same time period in 2006.
  
  
• Brooks’ spring 2008 footwear bookings are up 15 percent relative to same season bookings in 2007.

Brooks’ products have also received rave reviews from industry influencers. In its Fall 2007 Shoe Review, Runner’s World granted the Trance™ 7 its coveted Editor’s Choice award. The Trance™ 7 also received the award for Best Motion Stabilizing Shoe from Running Network in its 2007 Fall Shoe Guide.

About Brooks

Brooks Sports, Inc. is a leading running company that designs and markets a line of performance footwear, apparel and accessories in more than 40 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 brooksrunning.com for more information.