Jim Adams, the owner of Falls Road Running store in Baltimore, was recently asked by an aspiring young film maker if he would star in a movie about how retail powers the economy. The only catch—the filmmaker, living in California, needed Adams to get him a round-trip flight from California to Baltimore in order to conduct the shoot. Adams agreed and the end result was that the short video the duo made was entered into the National Retail Federation’s “This Is Retail” contest, earned top 5 honors, and won the Judges Choice Award.

The filmmaker was not a stranger to Adams, of course, it was his 25-year old son Andrew, a graduate of the Florida State University Film School, who his father says has entered and won several similar film making contests, typically sponsored by larger corporation seeking eager, fresh talent. Andrew, who also had experience working at run retail as his father’s “first employee” back when he was 13 years old, was the one who came across the NRF video contest and proposed to his father that they make a video. Andrew will be honored in Washington D.C. by the NRF with the Judges Choice Award.

NRF’s “This is Retail” video contest is a part of the retail trade association’s multi-faceted Retail Means Jobs campaign. The contest was designed to promote retail as a career and demonstrate the multitude of career choices available within the retail industry. The Retail Means Jobs campaign emphasizes the economic importance of retail and encourages policymakers to support an agenda aimed at boosting economic growth and job creation.

As for the making of the video, it was shot in the Falls Road Running store and includes customer feedback as well as Adams explaining how retail impacts everyone in the community. “We spent a full day, I thought it was only going to take ten minutes,” recalls Jim Adams with a laugh. “We had some concepts of what we wanted to say and we refined them. Andrew set up a film shoot area, we had customers in the store and he had them sign waivers, he was running around getting it done. We’d touch on something and he’d shoot it and we’d talk about it and critique it and we’d reshoot it.”

The video’s theme centers around how retail powers America’s economy and how retail creates jobs. “We wanted to show the chain of retail: I have to buy from a supplier that buys from a shipper that pays shipping and in the end that all pays a person’s paycheck and then they go out to a restaurant and spend money—it’s a big circle,” says Jim Adams.

Adams, who opened his store in the year 2000 after a career in the financial services field, is now in his twelfth year in the retail business and says he hasn’t looked back with any regrets. “My son Andrew was my first employee when I first opened the store,” recalls Adams. “He was 13 years old I didn’t even have a cash register. He had a little box with some money in it and a calculator and after a while he didn’t need a calculator. Back then tax was only 5 percent and he memorized it and did it so much he could tell you exactly what the totals would be.”

A version of this story also appears in the May 15, 2012 issue of Running Insight.

Shock Doctor, known for its innovative protective equipment, is looking to Ayers to serve as a product development advisor, giving detailed input from a professional player’s perspective for the company’s football protection products while also serving as a representative for the brand both on and off the field.

“I am very excited to join Team Shock Doctor and look forward to working with them to develop new and improved sports protection equipment for football players at every level of the game,” says Ayers.

“We are happy to welcome Akeem Ayers to our stellar line-up of athletes on Team Shock Doctor,” says Tony Armand, Chief Executive Officer of Shock Doctor. “Akeem’s leadership and professionalism on and off the field sets him apart and makes him a role model for upcoming NFL football greats.”

An All-American linebacker at UCLA, Ayers is a smooth, agile defender and proven playmaker, having recorded six interceptions, 14 sacks, seven forced fumbles and four fumble recoveries during his three collegiate seasons. As an NFL rookie, Ayers had the opportunity to make an immediate impact for Tennessee’s defense.

When the Tennessee Titans report to camp this summer, Ayers will wear the following Shock Doctor products: Shock Doctor Custom Mouthguards, Shock Doctor ShockSkin protective padded apparel and equipment, Shock Doctor Velocity Motion 360 Base Layer Apparel, Shock Doctor Chin Straps and Performance Sports Therapy wraps, supports and sleeves.

Saucony, Keds and Sperry acquired by Wolverine Worldwide

In a move that has been anticipated for almost a year, Saucony, one of the hottest brands in the running business for the past five years, will be acquired by Wolverine Worldwide, the footwear conglomerate that owns Merrell, Chaco, Sebago and a number of other brands. The two companies announced a definitive agreement that Wolverine along with Blum Capital Partners and Golden Gate Capital will acquire the Performance Lifestyle Group of Collective Brands which also includes Keds and Sperry. The deal is valued at $1.23 billion, more than 10 times the PLC group’s projected 2012 EBITDA.

When the transaction closes, it will mark the third time in seven years that Saucony has changed corporate parents. In 2005, the company was purchased by Stride-Rite and then in 2007 Stride-Rite was purchased by Payless Shoe Stores, which subsequently changed its name to Collective Brands. Although Saucony thrived under Collective’s ownership, the overall company struggled. At the time Payless acquired Saucony and its sister brands, many in the industry were skeptical that one company could successfully manage brands with specialty distribution and simultaneously run the biggest shoe store in the world, which basically sold inexpensive footwear and not a lot of brands.

Eventually the Collective board of directors agreed and put pressure on its charismatic CEO Matt Rubel to focus on the Payless side of the business. Apparently, he did not react to their satisfaction and 11 months ago, he resigned and the company announced it would pursue strategic options to increase shareholder value.

At that moment, it was apparent that the Performance Lifestyle Group would be sold either as a group or in pieces. Clearly, Saucony was the crown jewel in the portfolio and the brands were able to fetch more as a group than by being sold individually.

Wolverine has made no secret of its desire to make acquisitions and was in a strong financial position to do so. The company understands specialty brands and retail and should not dramatically alter the strategic direction of Saucony or the other brands. VF Corporation, parent of The North Face, Vans, Eastpak, Jansport and a number of apparel brands, was also said to be interested in buying the brands. But VF is very much still in the process of digesting Timberland, for which it paid $2 billion in cash less than a year ago.

The large multiple paid for the brands and the intense interest in Saucony demonstrates that professional money (and big professional money) continues to flow into the running business. Last year, Finish Line made a relatively small investment by buying a group of run specialty stores and subsequently attracted $10 million for a minority stake in that deal from Gart Capital Partners.

Saucony has put together an experienced executive team led by Richie Woodworth, a highly regarded manager and strategist who has worked for Nordica skis, Reebok and The National Hockey League. He has built a veteran team, which includes former New Balance exec Fran Allen, former Nike running executive Fred Doyle, VP of International Mary O’Brien and CMO Chris Lindner. Over the past five years, Saucony has made major strides in the specialty store business, moving up from a pack of brands to challenge for the number three market share spot behind Brooks and ASICS. Saucony has been a leader in product development with its Kinvara series of lightweight shoes and signed a number of athletes to help market the brand. If Wolverine can keep the executive team in place, the brand is in prime position to continue its momentum backed by Wolverine.

Armato joined Skechers in 2010 as president of the Skechers Fitness Group at the height of the company’s run up in the Shape Ups category and sought to give the company more of performance sports edge. During his tenure at Skechers, Armato signed marathoner Meb Keflezighi to promote the company’s GoRun footwear collection.

The company apparently has no plans to replace Armato. Robert Greenberg, Skechers’ founder, and his son Michael, are widely seen as the marketing brains behind the brand.

“We believe this technology will serve as a major asset to individuals with interest in customized apparel at any level of play,” said Gary Barfield, executive vice president, Russell Brands, LLC. “Russell offers one of the few uniform applications available on a mobile device, with a comprehensive selection of sport, design and color. We are very excited to provide our customers with more access to our products and offerings than ever before while encouraging creativity.”

In addition to allowing users to customize team uniform styles and colorways, the app also provides users the ability to save uniform configurations to a personalized “locker room” from which they can email styles directly from the application. Also, new styles and uniform models are frequently updated to the app in real time.

For more information, or to download the app, visit the iTunes store.

The National Retail Federation announced the top five finalists of its “This is Retail” video contest, determined after a week of public voting through NRF’s Retail Means Jobs website. Over 420,000 votes were cast for the Top 10 finalists between Tuesday, April 10 and midnight Sunday, April 15. Run specialty store Falls Road Running Store from is among the finalists.

“The retail industry is a powerful force that connects people, creates jobs, supports communities, and strengthens our economy,” said NRF President and CEO Matthew Shay. “These five finalists represent the tens of millions of people who work in retail, and by helping them tell their stories through our “This is Retail” contest, we are able to put an individual face to a gigantic industry.”

Voting for the top five videos begin April 17 at: retailmeansjobs.com/vote.

The finalists in alphabetical order are:

• Jim Adams, Falls Road Running Store, Baltimore, MD
• Tanna Dang, Eden in Love, Honolulu, HI
• Susan Kaufman, Market Alley Wines, Monmouth, IL
• Mark Plessinger, Frame of Mind, Columbia, SC
• Kim Williams, The Polka Dot Press, Tallahassee, FL

The selection process will continue as the top five videos will compete against each other this week with the top three finalists announced May 1. The remaining three finalists will be flown to NRF’s Washington Leadership Conference for the announcement of the contest rankings on May 16. The first place winner will receive $25,000 with $15,000 for second place and $10,000 for third place.

NRF’s “This is Retail” video contest is a part of the association’s multi-faceted Retail Means Jobs campaign. The contest, officially announced in January at Retail’s BIG Show, was designed to promote retail as a career and demonstrate the multitude of career choices available within the retail industry.

As the world’s largest retail trade association and the voice of retail worldwide, NRF represents retailers of all types and sizes, including chain restaurants and industry partners, from the United States and more than 45 countries abroad. Retailers operate more than 3.6 million U.S. establishments that support one in four U.S. jobs – 42 million working Americans. Contributing $2.5 trillion to annual GDP, retail is a daily barometer for the nation’s economy. NRF’s Retail Means Jobs campaign emphasizes the economic importance of retail and encourages policymakers to support a Jobs, Innovation and Consumer Value Agenda aimed at boosting economic growth and job creation.

The below article is from the April 16, 2012 issue of Running Insight magazine.

Quirky Superhero Duo Hits the Web for Altra

Have you heard of the Altramaniacs yet? They are a couple of quirky “superheroes” dreamed up by the team at Altra Zero Drop Footwear. Though their real identities are being kept hidden, the duo, known as Zero and Drop, are currently starring in an ongoing series of online videos that are offbeat, amusing and educational.

Altra, which was founded in 2009 and acquired in 2011 by Icon Health & Fitness, is carving out a niche at running specialty with its zero drop footwear styles. We asked Jeremy Howlett, Altra co-founder and VP of marketing, a few questions about the webisodes and how this type of marketing makes sense for the young and growing brand.

Running Insight: Who are the Altramaniacs?
Jeremy Howlett: These are a couple of guys who have fallen in love with Altra’s line of footwear and the benefits offered. They had such a great love for the benefits of our shoes that they wanted to take them to the masses in a fun and entertaining way. To bring about this they created costumes to bring the joy of Altra Zero Drop Footwear to runners everywhere.

RI: How did the idea for these videos arise?
Howlett: We were searching for a fun/viral idea for videos to educate people on the benefits of Zero Drop footwear and came up with the idea of a super hero type. Then contemplating it we had two huge Altra fans and decided to use two. It has worked out extremely well. We have worked on developing the characters and keeping it lighthearted and entertaining while hopefully offering an educational piece on running form, injuries, etiquette and more.

RI: What’s the message you are aiming to get across as a brand with the Altramaniacs?
Howlett: We want to show that we care about runners and having a great running experience. All while having fun. We want a great way for people to learn about overcoming injuries, improving running form, learning about our footwear line, and more.

RI: Tell us a little about the process of putting the videos together.
Howlett: In putting together the videos we started with an idea and worked to develop it into a living thing. There is a lot of ad-libbing that goes on to keep it fun, but we start with a cornerstone theme for each video and work to found it into a complete thing. In developing the series we want something that people can watch, learn and share.

With the desire to educate we wanted this to be a fun way to do it. We worked with Zero and Drop, our Altramaniacs—whose true identity remains a secret—to build on their attributes as goofy runners that love to run long distances and do it only in Altra footwear. They were the perfect tandem for our superheroes.

We hired an agency to do the shooting and editing and they have been great in formulating ideas. We have open dialogue between the group on what to do next and then we go and shoot it with a frame set in mind. This then develops into the final works of each video. We foresee this growing and developing over the next few months to include a variety of mini episodes that can benefit all types of runners.

RI: Is this a web only series?
Howlett: This is a web only series, but if Universal or Disney came to us to make a movie I don’t think that we would be too opposed. We want something online and available to the masses to learn and enjoy.

RI: How important would you say the online community and social media in general is to your brand?
Howlett: As for the Internet and social media specifically, I can confidently say that we would not be where we are right now without it. It has been a very important element in building our brand. Engaging our social network through video, twitter, Facebook engagement, blogging and other online mediums has helped us, but more importantly it has put us in touch with the running community. This running community is becoming such an online community that to not do it would be a mistake for our brand.

We will continue to be involved online and look forward to interactions in the social sphere. It is exciting with all of the new mediums coming into play as well, with Dailymile, Google+, Pintrest, iFit, and the many more that will be coming over the years. We look to embrace it as a brand. We are grateful to be a part of it.

Utilizing this social element to our brand and bringing a fun and interactive element to running has really provided us something exciting beyond great footwear. We have already had a few people reach out to us to bring them in as a child Altramaniac, Female Altramaniac or other. We are really excited for where this is headed and what will happen in the near future with The Altramaniacs.

—Cara Griffin

The issue includes in-depth profiles on each of the Power 12 retailers, including an interview with Dick’s Sporting Goods CEO Ed Stack, as well as retail scorecards from “secret” shoppers on each of the Power 12 retailers.

Who made it onto The Power 12 list?
Academy Sports + Outdoors
Big 5 Sporting Goods
Bob’s Stores
Dick’s Sporting Goods
Dunham’s Sports
Hibbett Sports
MC Sports
Modell’s Sporting Goods
Olympia Sports
Scheels Sports
Sport Chalet
Sports Authority

Read the entire issue online here.

For information on how to subscribe to the print edition of Sports Insight, click here.

During Major League Baseball Opening Day festivities last week, Rawlings, the Official Batting Helmet and Ball Supplier of Major League Baseball, added its new S100 Pro Comp batting helmet line to its on-field assortment of protective headwear.

Approximately 300 MLB players have chosen to wear the Rawlings S100 Pro Comp this season before the league-wide rule goes into effect in 2013. The mandatory use of the updated version of Rawlings S100 batting helmet is outlined in the new, 5-year collective bargaining agreement signed last November by Major League Baseball and Major League Baseball Players Association. This protective provision was specifically included in “Health and Safety” category (Section VIII) of the labor agreement.

“Rawlings’ long-standing history and ongoing commitment to help protect athletes’ bodies served as our central focus during the S100 Pro Comp’s development from idea to production,” said Mike Thompson, senior vice president of marketing for St. Louis-based Rawlings. “We worked collaboratively with MLB and the Players Association in order to create a solution that increased protection with the performance qualities and style players demand to play at their best.”

Constructed of aerospace-grade carbon fiber, the new Rawlings S100 Pro Comp batting helmet continues to provide technologically-enhanced protection for ball strikes up to 100 miles per hour.

Based on feedback from Minor League players wearing the S100 the past two years and MLB stars who tested the S100 Pro+ during the 2010 MLB All-Star Game in Anaheim, Rawlings’ product development team sought to maintain the same protective attributes in the new batting helmet while significantly enhancing the overall fit and comfort level to meet the performance needs of players at baseball’s highest levels.

The next-generation S100 Pro Comp is 300-percent stiffer and 130 times stronger than traditional ABS plastic helmets, yet features a lighter and smaller design specification compared to previous S100 models:

· Weighs approximately five ounces less and is almost 200 cubic inches smaller than the S100 – originally introduced in 2009 and currently worn by all Minor League Baseball® players

· Weighs 8.8 ounces less and 34 cubic inches smaller than S100 Pro+

The similarities in weight and size to current, Rawlings batting helmets should allow for a seamless transition to the S100 Pro Comp for all players next season.

Six months after making an acquisition that shook up the run specialty space, Finish Line is bringing on a major financial and strategic partner to help it manage its run specialty business.

At the same time it announced its first quarter earnings would not meet earlier projections, The Finish Line said that Gart Capital Partners is making a $10 million strategic investment in Finish Line’s Running Specialty Group with “the goal of creating the nation’s single largest operator within the growing specialty running business.”

Finish Line remains majority owner of the Running Specialty Group, but Gart will run all day-to-day operations including merchandising and future acquisitions.

Gart Capital Partners is an equity investment partnership that has a proven track record of successfully executing specialty retail rollups, including a 12-year joint venture with Vail Resorts, Inc. that involved more than 150 ski-related shops generating $200 million in annual sales.

Finish Line said it will continue to leverage its strengths as “a leading omni-channel retailer, providing direct logistics, marketing and IT support along with digital expertise.” TFL added that the Running Specialty Group will launch Run.com, “a digital experience for runners that will be the segment’s first to marry content, community and commerce. “

Like TFL, Gart has made clear its plans to target the run specialty space. There has been heavy speculation that Gart would acquire Super Runner Sports in New York, but that deal has not yet been announced. So today’s announcement marries two of the biggest potential acquirers of running stores.

It may also be an admission by Finish Line that they can’t (or don’t want to) handle the details of running small community based retailers, and would rather focus its time and resources on managing a major web business that targets runners. The announcement also clearly puts a bullseye on Road Runner Sports, the leading catalog and Internet retailer in the business with sales estimated at about $100 million, or 10% of the overall estimated market. In its announcement, Finish Line described the run specialty market as “highly fragmented market with limited e-commerce penetration.”

The financial implications of the deal are not clear. TFL acquired the 18-store RunCo chain from Gene Mitchell last year for $8.5 million, plus assumption of debt and sold a minority stake to Gart for $10 million, which at first glance seems like a good deal for TFL.

“We are excited to take our specialty running growth plans to the next level with GCP,” said Finish Line Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Glenn Lyon. “Like the ski retail business, customers within specialty running prize a shopping experience that is expert, highly localized and infused with the sport’s unique culture. Maintaining the individual personality of each running store concept, while providing the synergies of larger-operator systems and back office support, is critical for success. GCP has a proven track record of demonstrating that these principles can be maintained while simultaneously executing a successful rollup strategy. We look forward to growing this business with GCP and are confident that our association will accelerate progress and perhaps serve as an incubator for expansion outside of specialty running down the road.”