Buffalo Rising Online

Mar 18th, 6:17pm By queenseyes

Fleet Feet Sports has officially opened in its new location (originally on Elmwood). I stopped in to check out the 'running' store's diggs and was surprised to find out that it was actually more than a running store. The 33% space upgrade has allowed the company to double the size of their showroom. That means that there is more of everything... more jogging suits, more sunglasses, and more running shoes. There are even a number of newly introduced lines that transcend into the lifestyle-clothing department.

The space has vaulted ceilings and a blue-ish green concrete and epoxy (with grit) floor. Talk about room to move... the overall layout makes it very conducive to spot items in and around the new displays. A sharp, custom cash-wrap was built by Allen Group out of Eden, NY., while the rest of the build-out was performed by Benderson Development. There appears to be a concerted effort to add a professional look to the store through use of custom logo signage and informational displays.

Owners Dan And Alice Loncto tell me that since opening (this is their 16th day in business), they have welcomed well over 100 new customers to the store. At the same time they have managed to retain much of their original customer base through the use of email and mailings. Many of the new customers came from pinpointed mailings to surrounding neighborhoods (Delaware and Hertel). We have even managed to get customers to walk over from Dunkin Donuts," Dan told me. They see us while waiting in the drive-thru lane. This evening we're preparing for our 'No Boundaries' event. It's a twelve week introduction to a 5K race... it's for novices. We're trying to train runners for 'Race for the Cure'. We're very excited to see Kohl's moving into the center... when we signed the lease we did not even know that they were coming. This building originally had 21,000 sq.' available... now there is 8000sq.' left. The empty space is closest to Delaware and we're pretty sure that Benderson is looking to fill it with a restaurant. C-Pap (sleep apnea) just moved in, and the Western New York Dental Group is also opening. Both of those companies were started in the suburbs and are expanding into the city. The Summit Federal Credit Union is also in our building."

I spoke to Alice about some of the additional lines that were recently brought on. "We're carrying prAna for men and women (started off as a yoga/rock climbing company)," she said. "It's an earth-friendly clothing company that minimizes its footprint on the environment. We also picked up Horny Toad - a company that is much different than any mainstream companies. Our New Balance running apparel features shirts made with biodegradable bamboo fiber and recycled coconut shells."

Between the added space and the added lines, Fleet Feet is well suited to accommodate an entirely different clientele. At the same time, some things never change... Bristol the dog still greets you when you walk in and Dan and Alice are always on-hand to help you with your selections.

Fleet Feet Sports 2290 Delaware Ave. (716) 332-3501