NB
This review is about New Balance as a Company and retail running/medical fit specialty stores. It relates both to experience as an employee and experience of the interview process for a seperate managerial position
New Balance is not alone. Most running specialty and sport brand 'niche stores' that offer services like gait analysis and professional shoe fitting advice for athletes of all capabilities and medical needs clients alike are confused. Most of this confusion stems from a lack of true identity that is a result of trying to keep up with fashion related sales metrics enjoyed by companies like Nike and Adidas whilst trying to provide an expert service that has little to do with fashion and everything to do with clients personal needs and helping each individual client better understand their bio-mechanics, gait related physical issues, correct footwear choices and sharing additional advice.
In a specialty retail setting New Balance is striving to reconcile selling to meet fashion goals and the respective potential units sold with further cementing it's reputation for professional shoe/orthotic fitting services and meeting or exceeding the relevant expected sales metrics.
In specialty stores the services required of the staff are way beyond just 'selling' shoes. Such positions are more a combination of expert in field, salesperson, running form/training advisor, part medical needs supporter/guide, part emotional support and should be recognized as such. This recognition could and should be primarily addressed with a pay structure more consistent with expert sales help and sport/medical guidance as opposed to being more closely aligned with minimal wage as it is now. Staff feel undervalued because they are!
Interesting to note is the disparity between the value placed on the staff by the company compared to the value placed on the staff by clients. Often clients are deeply touched by the service provided and extremely thankful for the help provided and the subsequent successes they experience be they sport related or improvements in lifestyle based on medical needs. Returning clients even commented on their frustration that sales staff often 'disappeared", because of turnover/attrition, and they could not establish a more consistent experience.
Unfortunately this is unlikely to change, and so the revolving door of high staff attrition and lacking incentive will continue as will the wasted manpower necessary to keep training the high turnover of new additions to the retail team.
So much time is wasted re-evaluating clients and this can easily be traced by monitoring the multiple entries of clients personal information in the myNB data base.
Looking at the bigger picture - if specialty brick and mortar settings are to survive and prosper in today's retail environment they need to establish an in-store experience that relays expertise and confidence from a more consistent and established team. So much time is wasted re-establishing authentic connections to customers because the staff turnover is such that often customers get constantly re-evaluated and have to start the fitting process over. This often leads to confusion and subsequently sub-par service.