March 2024 - President's Message

Dear RIA Members,

As we prepare to convene at the Summit in just a few short weeks, I am excited to provide some key updates from our small group meetings last month.

I’d again like to extend my gratitude to those of you who were able to join us. Your insights kept us taking notes and provided for some great jumping off points for moving forward.

Based on an excellent suggestion, the RIA will be sharing our bylaws and financials within the RIA platform. This information is currently available and can be viewed at the bottom of the RIA’s ‘Mission and Plan’ page, when logged into the member portal.

Moreover, we received enthusiastic feedback indicating that the small group setting was both beneficial and appreciated. In light of this, we will begin offering “quarterly huddles” where we will cover popular topics such as inventory management, staff retention, etc., providing an opportunity to share best practices and ideas with fellow retailers. We believe this setting fosters further networking and a genuine sense of community. While our immediate focus is on the RIA Summit, we aim to host our first quarterly session in June.

Many of you expressed interest in understanding the benefits offered by the RIA. Specifically, we have noted that for some individuals, navigating through the available benefits has been overwhelming. To address this concern, we will look at specific benefits such as Cadence Weekly Benchmarks, our freight savings program, etc., and reach out to those retailers not utilizing those benefits. We will work with our partners to offer informational sessions focused on one benefit at a time. You can anticipate this initiative to unfold gradually over the course of the year.

Additionally, we received numerous thoughts on current vendor and store relationships, with a particular focus on DTC challenges.  We are committed to providing ongoing opportunities for conversation and feedback. Part of this effort is already underway through a series of articles initiated last month. If you haven’t had the chance to read the first installment detailing the retail POV, please find it HERE, when logged into the member portal. 

Finally, the topic most likely to be voted as the VIP of them all: the PDC. I recently participated in a productive planning session for this project and am encouraged by our progress toward its launch. RIA Executive Director Terry Schalow will be providing an update to give this important project the spotlight it deserves. Read on within this issue of the Pulse for that update.

On behalf of the Board of Directors, I extend my gratitude for your support as we forge ahead. I look forward to seeing many of you at the Summit and look forward to our time together.

Andrea Lehmkuhler
Board President, Running Industry Association
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