Running by The Numbers Part 2: Why Run Specialty’s Growth Is Stalling and How Brands Can Fix It

Same-store sales are stalling at run specialty stores, even as the brands they built are sprinting ahead. The gap isn’t just about macro conditions or weather,it’s about the way brands now compete

2025: The Year of Never-Ending Photo Finish Wins

Run specialty month-by-months sales: January-June 2025

[Running by the Numbers Part 1 addresses brand popularity among runners and you can find it here or down below.]

The Running Industry Association (RIA) recently reported on same-store sales growth at run specialty retailers. In its “By The Numbers” report, covered by SGB Media, the group forecast growth of approximately 2%-3% for the full year. Low-single digit growth was attributed to the following: macro conditions, product cycles and weather impacts.

Looking at January through June 2025, the run specialty channel showed some sharp swings, a steep drop in February followed by a double-digit rebound in March. Weather may have been a factor (spring arrived late in many regions), but looking back at 2024 doesn’t provide much clarity either: Q1 was up 4% yy, Q2 was flat, Q3 gained 4%, and Q4 surged 10%.

For outsiders, those near-flat numbers might seem unremarkable. But in a channel that d…