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Even more surprising, the specialty running store, which sells running shoes, apparel and shoe accessories, had its best year ever in 2010, co-owner Greg Klein said.
“When the economy gets soft, it’s the one thing they don’t have to give up,” said Klein about the inexpensive nature of people going for a walk or run to get some exercise.
Klein, 51, and his wife, Joan Marchioro, opened their Olympia store in January 1998 -- and later opened a store in Tacoma in 2002 -- at 3409 Capitol Boulevard, right next door to a health food store called Smart Nutrition. Smart Nutrition closed in March and South Sound Running moved into its former space about a month ago, Klein said.
In doing so, the business expanded to 4,200 square feet from 2,300 square feet, giving the running store more room to carry and display merchandise, as well as giving customers more room to try on shoes.
In fact, South Sound Running has what Klein calls a “runway,” a long stretch of carpet which allows customers to walk or run to try out their shoes. While customers are doing that, Klein and his staff can watch and assess which shoes are going to best fit that customer, he said.
Klein has been running most of his life -- he went for a 12-mile run before work on Thursday -- and also worked for many years selling sporting goods before opening South Sound Running. That experience taught him there was pent-up demand for a specialty running store because he kept having to refer customers to other stores for their running needs. Then, a former South Sound sporting goods store called Rainbow Sports closed, which led Klein to make his move and open his own store.
Besides shoes, apparel and accessories, South Sound Running also has become a meeting spot for running groups, as well as a place to get race information, Klein said. South Sound Running is a main sponsor or supporting sponsor of about 100 races a year, including the Capital City Marathon and Pasta Dash, he said.
The doors open at 10 a.m. during the week and it wasn’t long before customers started walking through the door, including Russ Evenhuis, 43, of Lacey. Evenhuis, too, is a longtime runner, he said. He ran track in high school and then ran in the Army -- partly because he had to -- and then advanced to triathalons in 2005. Evenhuis praised South Sound Running because it’s local, convenient and he’s received the right kind of advice, he said. He once bought a pair of running shoes that felt fine when he went for a walk, but then quickly discovered his feet broke out in blisters when he would go for a run.
“The fact that they can see you and fit you is a big, big help,” he said about the business.
In addition to shoe advice, Klein also has some tips for running a small business in a down economy.
-Reassess the business when the economy slows and correct any mistakes that might rise to the surface.
-Think about the future of the business and continue to build toward that future even in a slow economy.
-Keep promoting and marketing the business in a slow economy.
Klein said he learned that last tip from another business owner, who, although struggled to afford his promotions and marketing during a dip in business, as soon as a better economy returned, so, too, did his customers. Maintaining that awareness was key, Klein said.
“That always stuck with me,” he said.
South Sound Running is open 10 a.m to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday; 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturdays; and noon to 5 p.m. Sundays.
