Business news :Brooks Running Co. Sees Double-Digit Growth in 2012

Brooks Running Co. reported revenue grew 43 percent in the U.S. in 2012 while its future order backlog grew 31 percent. At-once fill-in orders increased 49 percent.

e a volatile Euro currency and shaky consumer confidence throughout Europe, Brooks experienced record growth. Revenue increased 41 percent on a local currency basis, driven by strong performance across all major European running markets. Future order backlog increased 25 percent.

“Brooks saw another extremely strong year in 2012. Our brand presence grew in the U.S. and abroad, our teams brought innovative products to the market and we were recognized externally with the highest honors for our commitment to performance, customer service and innovation,” said Jim Weber, president and CEO, Brooks Running Company. “I’m excited to build on this momentum in 2013 as we continue our quest to become the leader in performance running.”

Growth in 2012 was driven by strong footwear sales in the U.S. In one year alone, Brooks achieved 45 percent year-over-year growth in footwear sales. While all footwear categories saw increased sales, its lightweight category led the pack. By year’s end, PureProject held 12 percent of the lightweight running retail dollar market share, up 10 percentage points since December 2011. Such strong sales propelled Brooks to second place for overall retail dollar market share in the minimalist running footwear category. According to the latest share data, the neutral and guidance categories weren’t far behind with three Brooks shoes experiencing double-digit growth December 2011 to 2012—Glycerin (83 percent), Ghost (66 percent) and Ravenna (43 percent).

Brooks’ footwear momentum wasn’t the only high point for Brooks in 2012; other business highlights include:

• Brooks’ apparel business grew 25 percent year-over-year, driven by growing brand awareness and improved performance product.
• Brooks was awarded Brand of the Year in athletics for the 2012 Footwear News Achievement Awards and Vendor of the Year for a second year in a row by the Independent Running Retailer Association (IRRA) members.
• Industry organizations publicly extolled Brooks’ products with 12 coveted honors including:

o    The PureCadence received Running Network’s “Best New Shoe” award.
o    The Ghost 5 received the Runner’s World “Editor’s Choice” award.
o    The Adrenaline GTS 13 received the Runner’s World “Editor’s Choice” award.
o    The Trance 11 received the Runner’s World “Editor’s Choice” award.

• According to the Sports Marketing Surveys Running Specialty Store Sales Survey, Brooks retained its excellent customer service reputation, earning the number one spot for specialty running stores (SRA) customer service in the U.S., France, Germany and the UK.
• Brooks also claimed the No. 1 spot in the U.S. and Germany, and the number two spot in France and the UK, as the highest-ranked brand by SRAs, according to the Sports Marketing Surveys Running Specialty Store Sales Survey.

A subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway Inc., Brooks was founded in 1914 and is headquartered in Bothell, WA., near Seattle.

( SportsOneSource Media )