Unless they’re catching a bus or being chased by a bear, most people who buy running shoes don’t ever, you know, run in them.

That’s according to new research from Circana, which found that only 43% of consumers who purchased running footwear used them for exercise of any sort. One in three (33%) reported using them for “casual or everyday use,” and another 7% for work.

Whether or not they’re crossing finish lines, though, Americans are buying more of them:

• Running shoe sales increased 12% YoY in the 12 months that ended in April, totaling $1.7 billion, Circana found.
• Over the past three years, running shoe sales have grown by $1.3 billion.

New Balance sheets: Modern Retail called 2023 “the year of the dad shoe,” citing the soaring sales and appeal of chunkier running-oriented brands like New Balance, Hoka, and Asics to old and young consumers alike.

Earlier this month, the Wall Street Journal noted that Japanese mainstay Asics saw operating profit jump 53% in its most recent quarter, while revenue grew 14%.

“The comfort element has kind of become the fashion element,” Circana footwear analyst Beth Goldstein told Modern Retail in December. “It’s taking what you used to hope for when you put on a shoe but not be visible, and putting it on the outside of the shoe.”

It is, in other words, part of the broader shoe fashion paradox, when shoes that are comfortable but that have a clunky silhouette (see, if you can bear to look at them, Ugg, Crocs, and Birkenstock) become fashionable despite—or because of?—their goofball aesthetics.

Keep reading here.—AAN

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Target is putting the power of generative AI in its employees’ hands. On Thursday, the retailer announced that it will give team members at its nearly 2,000 stores an AI-powered chatbot called Store Companion by August. The app will be available on specially equipped handheld devices, and it can coach new employees and answer on-the-job process questions like “How do I restart the cash register if the power goes out?”

Mark Schindele, EVP and chief stores officer at Target, echoed other retail GenAI adopters like Walmart when he said the app “frees up time and attention for our team to serve guests with care and to create a shopping destination that invites discovery, ease and moments of everyday joy."

Keep reading here.—AV

On Tuesday, McDonald’s is rolling out its $5 value meal for a limited time across parts of the US. The campaign marks the latest salvo in the fast food giant’s price war with rivals like Wendy’s and Burger King, which have also taken steps to compete at the cash register. While the price war among fast food chains is heating up, other retailers such as Target and Michaels have also cut prices on thousands of items in a bid to attract inflation-squeezed customers.

Here’s what else is going on in retail this week:

In hirings: Today, former Walmart executive Srini Venkatesan joined PayPal as its new chief technology officer. Venkatesan is set to lead the development and implementation of tech including artificial intelligence and machine learning. As enthusiasm around AI has bolstered other tech companies like Nvidia, PayPal CEO Alex Chriss signaled earlier this year that the platform planned to launch AI-powered products and features.

Keep reading here.—AV

Shopping is going green. Pre-loved is in style—at least according to over 70% of consumers in eBay’s new survey. They all said they plan to spend on recommerce this year. Wanna know how your brand can get in on the action while helping protect the planet? Get your free copy of the 2024 Recommerce Report.

Now that third-party cookies are making their exit, how are marketers supposed to identify and engage with their audiences? Wunderkind’s Principal Product Manager of Identity sits down with their VP of Digital, Content, and AI to explore how identity resolution shines a light on anonymous site traffic and stitches together a consumer’s multiple devices, all without cookies. Save your seat to catch the exclusive webinar. Register now.