Brooks Running is breaking records — again.
Brooks set another all-time quarterly high in revenue for the second consecutive quarter, this time achieving double-digit growth in every region and increasing global revenue 19 percent year-over-year.
“Brooks continues to execute at a very high level, delivering outstanding value to our customers while adapting to a dynamic business environment,” Brooks Running CEO Dan Sheridan said. “Our innovative product pipeline, the strength of our global business model, and our authentic touchpoints with consumers are a testament to our team’s customer-first approach.”
The global running brand posted revenue growth of 13 percent year-over-year in North America, led by performance in wholesale footwear and gains across both the U.S. and Canadian markets. Its Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) revenue grew 44 percent, representing the highest revenue quarter ever for the region. For Asia Pacific and Latin America (APLA), revenue growth was 55 percent year-over-year, with China and Korea contributing 80 percent and 218 percent, respectively.
The Seattle-based brand said the global market for running footwear, apparel and accessories remains strong. The performance running footwear market in the U.S. grew 9 percent in the second quarter, driven by a 16 percent rise in premium running footwear, or shoes priced at $100 and up, according to Circana. Data from Circana also showed that Brooks outpaced market growth as its shoes held three of the top six performance footwear styles sold in U.S. retail in the second quarter. The brand also gained market share in Germany and France over the same period.
The brand introduced eight footwear styles in the quarter, contributing to a 28 percent unit growth in new footwear styles. Brooks’ Glycerin super franchise led global revenue growth for the quarter, up 27 percent year-over-year, with Ghost and Ghose Max delivering a 16 percent and 82 percent increase, respectively. In the EMEA region, all core performance styles delivered double-digit growth that was led by the Glycerin super franchise, up 50 percent, and Adrenaline GTS, up 33 percent. And in APLA, Brooks’ premium products drove the bulk of the growth, supported by a 150 percent spike in sales of the Hyperion family year-over-year.
Brooks said its new lifestyle footwear collection released three new styles that “resonated with new audiences” in the quarter. The styles featured iconic designs from the Brooks vault that were featured at Paris Fashion Week in June.
The running brand also unveiled a collection of Disney-themed performance running shoes per its relationship with runDisney. It said the initial allotment of of the full footwear assortment, headlined by the Ghost Max 2 Mickey Mouse and Ghose Max 2 Minnie Mouse styles, at runDisney Springtime Surprise Weekend in April sold out in 12 hours on brooksrunning.com. A second group generated records for hourly e-commerce revenue and conversion rate for the brand.
In addition, the brand engaged new audiences through its “Let’s Run There” platform focused on consumers’ health and wellness. Partnerships included actors Jeremy Renner, Jennifer Garner and Anthony Ramos, as well as the Cambridge United Football Club in England where the brand was named the official Front-of-Shirt sponsor.
The company in February expanded its global headquarters in Seattle, taking over a new five-floor building in the city’s Fremont neighborhood. The brand’s headquarters now spans two buildings across the street from each other.
Sheridan, a 26-year company veteran who took over the CEO reins when former CEO Jim Weber retired, told Footwear News last November that the company’s success is due to Weber’s setting of the values for the organization and living those values consistently.
Brooks was acquired by Russell Athletic in 2204. Russell was acquired in 2006 by Fruit of the Loom, which was by then already under the ownership of Berkshire Hathaway. Brooks operated as a subsidiary of Fruit of the loom until 2011 when it became an independent subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway.
