11 Jan Brooks Racks Up Double-Digit Gains In Q4
Brooks Running scored its second consecutive quarter of double-digit growth in the fourth quarter, Jim Weber, CEO, wrote on the company’s blog.
In the blog entry, Weber noted a number of milestones for Brooks, which is owned by Berkshire Hathaway, over the last year:
- On Global Running Day, Brooks saw nearly 60,000 runners take part of its #BrooksEndorsed campaign that invited runners to become a Brooks endorsed athlete;
- The Revel and Levitate with DNA AMP outsole technology were introduced;
- Brooks signed on as a sponsor of the 2018 Special Olympics USA Games that will take place in Seattle this summer.
- In late November, Brooks unveiled a new partnership with HP Inc. and Superfeet that will create the first performance running shoe based to an individual’s unique biomechanics.
The brand’s athletes – including the Brooks Beasts and Hansons-Brooks Original Distance Project (ODP) – also made strides, including:
- Brooks Beast Katie Mackey won the U.S. Road Mile Championships
- Brooks Beast Drew Windle took home the bronze in the men’s 800m at the U.S. Outdoor Track & Field Championships and went on to compete at the World Outdoor Track & Field Championships
- The Hansons-Brooks ODP Women won the U.S. Club Cross Country Championships
- Brooks Runner Gabriele Grunewald inspired people around the globe by chronicling her fourth battle with cancer and running’s unique power to provide strength and optimism.
“What you can expect from Brooks in 2018 is more Run Happy,” Weber wrote in the blog. “We are challenging ourselves to find new ways to inspire people to run and be active and celebrate the run at every turn. This year we’ll introduce more new technologies and products than ever before. Our goal as always is to meet the needs runners have while delivering crave-worthy experiences and performance. In 2018, our team will not disappoint.”
In late October, Brooks reported an 11 percent increase in third-quarter revenue year over year that officials. The gains were driven by demand for the Ghost and Adrenaline GTS, which grew 39 percent and 30 percent respectively, as well as early success of the Brooks Levitate with DNA AMP, a new shoe that focuses on energy return
At the time, official said the third quarter marked a “return to growth” for Brooks with the brand increasing share in the $100 and above running shoe category while also noting that the overall performance running category was “showing signs of stabilizing.”
In 2016, Brooks surpassed the $500 million annual revenue mark for the year, a key milestone for the brand.