Women's Running: How Female Runners Reshape Sports Retail
Velocità's Alexandre Estefano analyzes the rise of female runners and key differences in retail shopping behavior.
The growing presence of women in road running is rapidly transforming specialty sports retail in Brazil. Alexandre Estefano, managing partner at Velocità, details how female runners balance performance and style when choosing gear.
The growing female presence in Brazilian road running has not only transformed starting lines across the country, but also shifted the dynamic inside specialty retail stores. While triathlon continues to strive for gender balance, road races already show much more even participation numbers. In high-performance sports retail, this evolution has required a deep shift in customer service, brand curation, and product communication.
From Historical Disparity to Balance in Stores
According to Alexandre Estefano, managing partner at Velocità, the specialty chain's customer base was historically male-dominated, largely due to its focus on high technology and performance. In the past, sales were split at roughly 80% men to 20% women. Today, that landscape has changed dramatically, reaching closer to a 65% to 35% split.
This transformation is directly reflected in the stores' physical floor plans. At the Moema branch, the chain's largest, half of the retail space is entirely dedicated to women. To keep pace with the surge in female runners, the store had to expand its apparel catalog and curate brands combining fit, style, and cutting-edge technical fabrics.
Performance with Style: Female Purchasing Decisions
One of the main distinctions Estefano highlights lies in the sales approach. While male consumers traditionally respond to detailed spec sheets and material breakdowns, a strictly data-driven pitch does not always resonate the same way with female runners. A woman entering a technical store seeks performance benefits, but views design and visual harmony across the entire outfit as essential decision-making factors.
This emphasis on aesthetics extends beyond footwear to encompass the entire workout outfit, integrating apparel, socks, and accessories. This consumer profile has pushed the industry beyond merely tweaking men's models, driving real investment in collections thoughtfully designed for female preferences.
A Curious Preference for Colors on the Shelves
Color preferences reveal intriguing contrasts at the point of sale. Men demonstrate complete pragmatism: if a top-tier race-day shoe is available, the color of the midsole foam or upper rarely deters a purchase. Meanwhile, black running shoes remain one of the top sellers across the general catalog due to their day-to-day versatility.
In women's lines, however, pink running shoes remain a powerhouse seller with every new collection rolled out by global brands. Even when buyers and retailers attempt to prioritize alternative color palettes, demand for classic shades of pink and complementary tones continues to drive strong sales on specialty shelves.