Long before Kelsey Klaus became the new apparel product line manager at RC Outfitters, the Peoria, IL-based running store was already doing things a bit differently on the apparel front. 

RC Outfitters’ showroom featured denim, dresses and other lifestyle apparel alongside performance run pieces, boldly pushing the boundaries of traditional run specialty and investing in apparel at a level of few peers. (In fact, the store’s ambitious and diverse inventory mix spurred its rebranding from Running Central to the less run-specific RC Outfitters moniker in 2019.) RC Outfitters’ hefty apparel focus stirred results, too, as its apparel sales – both in total dollars and as a percentage of overall sales – far outpaced industry benchmarks. 

Leveraging an academic background in apparel merchandising, past experiences in visual merchandising for retail behemoths like Target and Saks Fifth Avenue and a passion for fashion and presentation, Klaus has poured accelerant on an already healthy apparel business at RC Outfitters since her arrival last April.

RC Outfitters owner Adam White calls Klaus “a fashionista” who possesses both an enterprising vision as well as practical understanding of small business dynamics, two traits that have helped grow apparel sales at RC Outfitters to 40 percent of overall sales – a mark four times greater than the nation’s typical run specialty shop.

“With social media and run clubs booming, people want to look good on and after the run,” Klaus says. “It’s something we can all capitalize on.”

Klaus, who recently added the store manager title at RC Outfitters to her resume, chatted with Running Insight about the work she has led to elevate and sharpen RC Outfitters’ apparel business. 

Get a grip.

While Klaus entered a solid apparel business at RC Outfitters in early 2025, she also champions continuous improvement. She took a deep dive into store data to discover what was selling at RC Outfitters and what items pulled people into the store. She also analyzed the market and RC Outfitters’ place in it to discern just how far the store could push the envelope.

“The truth is people in and around Peoria don’t have a lot of shopping options when it comes to fashion,” she says. “RC Outfitters has earned trust over the years that it will bring fashion and options, which was something we could leverage even more.”

Tighten inventory. 

After identifying the franchise models of apparel moving the needle at RC Outfitters, Klaus made a concerted effort to tighten the breadth of specific lines. With lululemon, for instance, Klaus noticed RC Outfitters would stock nearly every single color of a popular short or jacket. To Klaus, it was too much of the same thing. She believed carrying two or three colors would lead to more focused inventory while still providing the necessary energy for customers. 

Deepen the assortment.

Tightening inventory provided RC Outfitters added license to focus on other brands. She explored the offerings of existing in-store brands such as On and Diadora while also steering RC Outfitters’ investment in new brands for the store such as Tracksmith that were increasingly catching consumers’ eyes.

Today, RC Outfitters’ apparel floor is a smorgasbord of technical and lifestyle goods from legacy players like Brooks and New Balance as well as upstart brands like FP Movement, Rhone, Roark and Free Fly.

Don’t resist trends. 

Run specialty needs to remember the “special” part, Klaus reminds. “If I’m only going to stock black shorts, then customers are likely to go elsewhere,” she says.

While carrying core colors and styles, Klaus hasn’t shied away from “sprinkling in the trends” at RC Outfitters, from monochromatic sets to wide-leg pants. 

“We have to be okay taking some risk and stepping outside the basic options to bring in the trends,” she says. 

Shift perspective. 

In her third week on the job, Klaus flipped men’s and women’s apparel on the RC Outfitters sales floor to alter the store’s look. 

“Don’t be afraid to try a different set up,” Klaus says. “You can always move things around and display products differently.” 

At RC Outfitters, Klaus has experimented with various setups to avoid a stale feeling on the floor, from where she places mannequins to how she arranges and presents products.

“My team laughs that I’m always walking around with a half-dressed mannequin,” Klaus says. “Your inventory can’t necessarily change fast, but the look of the store can, and when things are beautifully displayed and put together well, people are more willing to buy.”

Keep evolving.

Again, there’s always room for improvement, which is why Klaus is working to heighten staff education on the apparel side to complement RC Outfitters’ robust education on footwear and shoe fittings. Moving forward, she aims to host more apparel-focused staff clinics, trend sessions, educational nights and try-on sessions so staff are better prepared to move from the footwear bench to the apparel floor with confidence. 

“Much like our running, we can always be better,” says Klaus, who recently ran the Tokyo Marathon, the fifth stop on her six-star Abbott World Marathon Majors journey. “I never want to be content with the status quo.” 

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Hot Takes ...

Kelsey Klaus sounds off on what’s in and out

IN: Shades of brown, from espresso to mocha to walnut to sand

OUT: Super cropped tops for women

IN: Stripes

OUT: Polka dots

IN: Balloon-styled pants

OUT: Straight and skinny denim

IN: Lower-profile lifestyle shoes