Brooks ‘Playing to Win’ Apparel Market Going Forward

Brooks execs say the company wrapped a transformative year in 2014—and the Seattle-based company is aiming even bigger in 2015. After hitting the $500 million mark for 2014 (halfway to the company’s stated goal of $1 billion in sales by 2020), celebrating 100 years, opening a new global headquarters in downtown Seattle and buying back Brooks’ Canadian operations, CEO Jim Weber told attendees at a media breakfast at a recent trade show that he’s still looking ahead. “As I keep reminding Dan [Sheridan, SVP and GM of Brooks’ North American business], I think we [can] double in the U.S.,” he said.

By the numbers, the company had a stellar year, with a 15 percent increase in year-over-year revenues, a 13 percent growth in U.S. footwear sales and a 32 percent increase in sales in Europe, the Middle East and Africa. Brooks Canada saw a 37 percent lift in sales in its rst year as a wholly owned subsidiary. It also retained it’s No. 1 footwear ranking at running specialty shops in the U.S.

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Weber and Sheridan said the brand will sustain that growth with an increased focus on apparel—”we’re playing to win in that market,” Weber said—led by global VP of apparel Anne Cavassa. For Fall 2015, Brooks is rebranding the Moving Comfort division, which it pared down to a core focus on sports bras in 2014. Going forward, all bras produced by the company will be under the “Brooks Moving Comfort” label.

Also key, according to Sheridan, will be working with retailers on new ways to make omnichannel a win for both sides. And a key driver will be the resurgence, Sheridan said, in core styles like the Adrenaline GTS and the Ghost, both of which held the top position in their categories for the year.

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