Capitol Hill community runs will need a new pacesetter. Longtime running gear and shoe retailer Fleet Feet is leaving E Pine after 20 years of business and weekly “fun runs” across the neighborhood.
Sergey Voronkin who is now overseeing Fleet Feet in the Seattle market with operating partner and ultra runner Brian Morrison stepping aside, announced the closure of the Capitol Hill store he had been managing saying the decision “stemmed from Fleet Feet’s larger business strategy to provide an improved customer experience to the Seattle community.”
The Seattle stores part of the nationwide Fleet Feet franchise include a Ballard location which will remain open.
“Moving forward, we invite our Capitol Hill community to join us at our Ballard store, where you will continue to receive the same great personalized service, shop from a similar product assortment and be able to participate in community programs, runs and events,” Voronkin’s message to customers announcing the closure read.
Fleet Feet has been part of the Odd Fellows building along E Pine across from Cal Anderson Park since 2004 where it started as the Seattle Running Company.
“Our customers have gotten a little younger, some having moved to Seattle because of the tech boom,” Morrison told CHS about the shop in 2017. “With Seattle’s urban density increasing, we’ve seen more people from the neighborhood shopping here. In the past, when parking was easier, we may have drawn more people from outside the area.”
The store was the rare business to span the years before Pike/Pine’s massive mixed-use development boom that has reshaped the area over the past decade. It also survived the challenges of the Capitol Hill Occupied Protest which played out in the street in front of the store and the years of the pandemic that followed.
Earlier this year, CHS checked in to be part of the weekly group runs that have centered around the E Pine shop.
One of the last community runs from the Capitol Hill store was slated to take place Thursday. One more is planned for Saturday.
“Beyond that we will pass a torch to the Capitol Hill Running Club who will have our support and will keep Tuesday and Thursday runs going,” Voronkin said.
Fleet Feet’s final day of business at 911 E Pine will be Saturday, October 19th.
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In what world is closing a store providing “an improved customer experience to the Seattle community”…..
Tired of biz-speak. What does “stemmed from Fleet Feet’s larger business strategy to provide an improved customer experience to the Seattle community.” mean in actual English? On the face of it, closing a store and directing people to another one that’s a 45min-1hr bus ride away doesn’t improve customer experience.
Maybe someone can get a real explanation?
It’s business speak for “we can’t deal with any of the Pike/Pine/Broadway bullshit anymore” for the amount they’re pulling in at that location, so best to consolidate. Hard to blame them…
The decision [to close the store] “stemmed from Fleet Feet’s larger business strategy to provide an improved customer experience to the Seattle community.”
What a b*llshit statement! Haha
Your improved customer experience includes a 50% reduction in places to shop and a 25 minute drive to Ballard in rush hour traffic to join a community run in a neighborhood that is not your community!
Sure, the statement is kinda dumb but there’s no need to be a snarky ass about it. This store isn’t closing to inconvenience YOU.
I’ve been shopping here for almost 20 years and know Brian well. He’s a really great dude who’s been there since it was The Seattle Running Company. He’s been doing his best to keep this brick and mortar open in a post-Amazon / post-covid economy but it’s really tough out there.
Really sad to see this one go.
I apologize for the dose of reality. I know it can be hard to accept when your bubble pops.
Their shop in Ballard caters to a larger cohort of higher income residents in Ballard, Wallingford, Fremont, Magnolia, Queen Anne, North Beach, Loyal Heights, Greenwood, and Northgate. Also, their only two competitors from what I know are Super Jock & Jill in Greenlake and Brooks Flagship Store on the border of Wallingford and Fremont. They also have more parking available near their shop for their customers in Ballard.
lol good one
Sad to see this store go! But I’m glad the group runs are continuing.
Sad to lose this store – we need useful retail in the neighborhood in addition to all the restaurants, bars and coffee shops.
What’s the Capitol Hill Running Club and how do we find out more about it?
https://www.seattlerunningclub.org/
Some info is here, more coming soon: https://www.caphillrunclub.com/
It’s early days, but we plan on keeping the Tuesday & Thursday runs going, just like Fleet Feet did!
It’s in Strava. Just show up at the same times at the same place.
“Moving forward, we invite our Capitol Hill community to join us at our Ballard store”
How laughable. See ya, Fleet Feet.
It was nice to have a running store in the neighborhood, but their inventory was always so limited I never bought anything there. With REI right down the hill they had to offer something more.