It's About Changing Lives

A letter to all our customers,

Thank you for being part of this amazing community we've helped to create. We truly believe that Running Changes Everything, and we do our best to inspire everyone who walks through our front doors. We love what we do, and we couldn't do it without each and every one of you and your support.

Please take a moment to read this article in the Washington Post from fellow Fleet Feet Sports Sacramento owner, Pat Sweeney.

PRICE ISN'T EVERYTHING WHEN IT COMES TO RUNNING SHOES

Washington Post
By Pat Sweeney, Owner Fleet Feet Sports, Sacramento

I couldn't sleep last night. I found myself thinking about the article I read yesterday with the headline that blared "You'll save A LOT of money buying running shoes online."

That insight - that you can find cheap shoes on the Internet - isn't particularly new. Of course you can, along with old furniture, the complete collection of "Welcome Back Kotter," and the prom dress you wore in 1987. Yet I - the proud co-owner of Fleet Feet Sports in Sacramento, Calif. along with my wife, Jan - reacted to it like it was the first time anyone had said it.

"Online" has become the word that shall not be said when it comes to small and locally-owned businesses. It touts immediate access and convenience. It creates volatility and inconsistency in pricing, And it sure doesn't have to worry about shelf space - it has endless aisles.

In other words, it could be a small business owner's nightmare. But, I have to remind myself, it isn't.

For as loudly as "online" may scream "save money," there are a lot of things it isn't screaming. And it's in those absences that we - the more than 700 locally owned running stores throughout the country-- have our greatest impact.

What drives us isn't offering products at the lowest cost. We have never, and will never, win on price. And we don't want to, thank you very much. That's a race to the bottom that offers no prize.

LINK TO FULL ARTICLE