Running Room stores are staffed by running enthusiasts who are encouraged to use the footwear and equipment that the retailer sells.  The staff is highly trained, which differentiates this retailer from competing sports apparel/sporting goods stores that are not as specialized. Staff have earned legitimate credibility and know their products.

Running Room stores both offer a full range of products for running, as well as encourage each retail location to become a community hub for participants in Learn to Run courses, free running groups and local running routes with measured distances.

In addition, each store encourages local runners to participate in running events in their areas, often with the purpose of raising funds for local charities. The Running Room provides a free magazine that features stories about customers who have taken up running or have achieved goals related to active living.

Using social media, Running Room customers can share their wins and losses and exchange ideas with a community of like-minded individuals.

Ebeltoft point of view 

Running Room demonstrates how a chain of stores can feel local, by engaging customers in the geographic area around each store as a separate community that is part of a much larger group.

The customers at each store are united by their common interest in running and their need to share this interest with others who truly understand them.