MANILA, Philippines - As the name behind Toby’s, the country’s most successful chain of sporting goods stores, Roberto “Toby” Claudio Jr. did not feel any pressure to continue the legacy. After all, he grew up manning the stores and was engaged in practically all kinds of sports — tennis, basketball, badminton and soccer. He even played varsity baseball in college.
But Claudio did not join Toby’s Sports, which was founded by his father and his uncles in the late 1970s, until in 2000 after he had picked up enough experience in brand management in a consumer products company. To escalate the business, he set up Toby’s Arena, the country’s first interactive sports store. The concept cemented Toby’s status as the country’s best one-stop sports store. He also founded Urban Athletics, which targets sportswear for the fashion-conscious.
Toby’s foresight could be traced back to his lifelong commitment to sports and the family enterprise. Indeed, the man is primed for the sports business. But it was not until he stumbled into running that the young Claudio hatched another idea — one that did not only spell further business success for the Quorum Group (the mother company of Toby’s Sports) but also heralded a fitness map that is simple for everybody to follow, and at the same time unloads a range of health benefits.
Enter Runnr, the country’s first running concept store with everything that a runner (seasoned or newbie) needs. From shoes to gear, books and the proper runner’s nourishment, Runnr has it all.
But what makes Runnr truly unique is Footworx, an integrated system that helps people pick the right pair of shoes based on their arch type and the way they run. The customized system enables customers to pick shoes that afford better shock absorption and minimize fatigue, thus reducing risks of an injury. Claudio should know. He used to detest running since every time he ran, his body would ache until he found that he was running the wrong way. Researching about correct form and the benefits of shoe fitting, Claudio soon discovered the power and joy of running and the advantages it gives.
“Once I learned the proper form and importance of shoe fitting, a lot of things changed. I could run without pain for the first time. I could run farther and faster, and that’s when I started to really enjoy running.” Claudio says. This, coming from someone who has been plagued with back problems and endured an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury that has left him with two screws in his knees.
And Claudio is not alone. While running has been a popular sport since the ‘70s, it was limited to professional athletes. Gradually, running-friendly areas started to spring until it finally became the hippest sport, with politicians and celebrities sweating it out. Some of them even joined marathons here and abroad. As Claudio explains, the regeneration of areas such as Fort Bonifacio and UP Diliman has paved the way for running as an enjoyable sport among Filipinos.
“People are always looking for new ways to get fit,“ he notes and as he learned from experience, running has become not only a source of energy but an outlet, giving him a deeper appreciation to stay physically and mentally fit and healthy. That is, if one understands and applies the right running plan.
This, for Claudio, is the goal of Runnr. “As a running specialty store, our goal is to help people run better. The first step is to learn the proper form and to get properly fitted with the right shoes,” he notes. Aside from the state-of-the-art gait analysis system (custom-made in Germany), Claudio states that Runnr stores (one in Bonifacio High Street, another in Cebu) are designed in such a way that customers get a complete store experience.
From the well-equipped accessories (gait scanning, video analysis, custom molded insoles, etc.) to the large display of top brands and well-informed staff, Runnr has certainly become the “go-to” store for running enthusiasts.
“We’re bringing up our level of service to try to go beyond just selling merchandise. When we can help people be better thru running than it is something we can be proud of,” beams Claudio.
As a medium enterprise, Claudio is thankful for partner banks like Plantersbank for supporting them. “Plantersbank has been instrumental in our growth, which has become much faster now,” he says. Their relationship, which began with Toby’s, has remained solid throughout the years.
Claudio adds that Plantersbank truly understands the needs of small and medium enterprise (SME). It is important, he says, to have a partner bank that shares the vision of SMEs. For decades now, Plantersbank has been pioneering in the business of SMEs — eventually ending up as a strategic partner to many of them by offering a wide range of products and solutions. With Plantersbank around, Claudio is confident that Runnr can sprint to more success. In fact, Runnr is set to open more stores this year.
“Runnr has definitely taken off to a good start. We just want to build on that and keep helping people discover what they are really capable of through running,” ends Claudio.
As any runner would say, the mad dash is on