Princeton Running Co. among the best

Named one of top 50 in country

By: Justin Feil
   Since its opening in 1998, the Princeton Running Company has made a number of additions, all with the intent to increase its ability to serve the running community.
   Its latest addition is a tribute to those efforts.
   On the counter of the Nassau St. store now sits a handsome glass trophy in front of a red backdrop. It proclaims the Princeton Running Company as one of the "50 Best Running Stores in America." It was presented by The Running Network and Footwear Intelligence last week at The Running Event, a conference and expo for those in the industry, in Austin, Texas.
   "It’s quite an honor to be among the best stores in America," said Rob Chew, who is in his sixth year as store manager. "They’re all really good stores."
   The Princeton Running Company was among more than 200 stores evaluated in a process that began early in 2006. The Running Network asked for consumer feedback on their favorite stores. Consumers from around the country as well as running industry executives submitted nominations.
   A rater from Franklin Resource Group, the leading in-store merchandising company in the sports industry, visited each nominee as a shopper and bought a pair of shoes. Afterward, they filled out a survey that covered all aspects of their shopping experience. A point value was given for each question on the survey. Product knowledge, shopping environment and community involvement were also used to select the top 50 stores. The final 50 list will be published in The Running Network and Footwear Intelligence in January, 2007 along with a special report on it.
   "Other magazines have published top store lists, but they didn’t appear to put much thought into the process," Footwear Intelligence editor Mark Sullivan was quoted in The Running Event literature. "We invested a great deal of time, money and collaborative thinking into The 50 Best promotion and believe it will show in the end product."
   The award confirms for the Princeton Running Company that it has a good business plan that has helped it find a spot at the top of a niche industry.
   "It’s all about earning the customer trust and providing the customer service," Chew said. "We’ve built our customer base brick by brick. We depend a lot on repeat customers. You can ask anyone in the area and they know us. To be one of the few stores in the East region selected is quite an honor."
   The Princeton Running Company is the original in a series of stores opened by Gene Mitchell. Mitchell, who qualified this fall for the 2007 Men’s Olympic Marathon Trials, now owns seven running stores, mostly in New Jersey, though the latest to be opened is in Greenwich, Ct.
   "The concept is the same throughout," Chew said. "If you come to one store, it will be a mirror image of the others. Each of us (managers) is taught to run their store with that vision of education and customer service."
   Loyal visitors have seen the Princeton store undergo several improvements and additions since its opening eight years ago. Everything done has been designed to help attract more runners.
   "We expanded our apparel selection," Chew said. "We originally started with half a store and got the other side three and a half years ago.
   "We’ve added a treadmill and now we do gait analysis," he added. "That was in the last two years. That helped increase our customer base. It gave us an extra tool to work with."
   The best tool for runners is knowledgeable employees like Chew. The Princeton Running Company also employs current and former high school runners. The staff works together to help find the right shoe, shirt or socks for its consumers.
   "With all the other stores, it was amazing to find we’re doing it exactly the same way as the other 49 stores," Chew said. "We provide that personal touch. Education is so important. The customer base appreciates that we understand what their needs are."
   Consumers spoke up to show their appreciation and an independent researcher agreed that The Princeton Running Company is one of the top 50 stores in America. It’s quite an accomplishment for a store that has been around less than a decade.
   "It is a great award," Chew said. "I’m amazed we’re among the top 50 stores. To sit at that conference and listen to how they run their stores, we do it the same way. It was nice to know. And there are some really amazing stores out west. The top store is in Colorado. Where we were (in Austin), their local store has 1,500 runners on their Saturday runs. I wish we had the parking for that."
   There’s not much else the Princeton Running Company could want. It has found a way to cater to its customers, a way that now will be recognized as among the best in the country.
   "I think we have the ideal set-up," Chew said. "We’ll continue to provide that type of elite service."