What Running Conseil does

Running Conseil is the largest specialty retail network dedicated to running, trail, and hiking in France, operating as a cooperative (SCOP) of 91 physical stores together with a national e-commerce storefront at running-conseil.com. Founded in 1994 as an associative grouping of about ten independent regional running, athletics, and triathlon stores, the network was converted into a cooperative in 2022 and has since expanded from 70 stores at end-2023 to 91 stores across metropolitan France plus Guadeloupe, La Réunion, and New Caledonia. The company sells footwear (road running, trail, hiking), technical apparel, accessories (hydration, compression, eyewear, headwear), electronics (Garmin/Suunto GPS watches, Shokz bone-conduction headphones, Compex/Bluetens electrostimulation), and sports nutrition through a catalog of more than 20,000 SKUs drawn from nearly 50 partner brands, including a private-label AERTH apparel line exclusive to its stores.

The company's service layer is anchored by the Feetbox® foot-analysis and dynamic in-store shoe-testing protocol, developed with Sidas and supported by Sidas Academy training for store staff — designed to translate foot morphology and tibial alignment into specific product recommendations and to let customers run hundreds of meters in shoes before purchase. A training-content offering (Conseils-courseapied.com, founded by FFA coach Gilles Dorval) provides online training plans from 10km through trail, and the network is connected to Running Heroes (kilometers-to-points rewards redeemable as in-store gift cards) and Sports'N Connect (race calendar and registration). Leadership rests with Director General Jérémy Marchetti (appointed end-2023), supported by an internal team reporting to a board of independent store-member owners.

Revenue is generated almost entirely through one-time retail product sales across the physical network and the e-commerce site, with unit pricing, free delivery over €90, and interest-free installment payments as commercial terms. The company does not publish financials as a privately held cooperative and is governed democratically by its member-store operators, with no disclosed external institutional investment.

Name

Running Conseil

Legal name

La Société Running Conseil

Website

https://running-conseil.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1994

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Running Conseil is France's largest specialty retail network for running, trail, and hiking, operating 91 cooperative-owned stores plus an e-commerce platform selling 20,000+ SKUs of footwear, apparel, electronics, and nutrition to runners and outdoor enthusiasts, augmented by Feetbox® gait analysis and an integrated online training-plan service.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Specialty Running and Outdoor Retail

NAICS

Shoe Retailers (4582), Shoe Retailers (45821), Clothing and Clothing Accessories Retailers (45811)

SIC

Retail-Shoe Stores (5661), Retail-Apparel & Accessory Stores (5600)

akta.pro primary industry

Performance Running Specialty Retail (CRAMACAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Outdoor Performance Footwear & Apparel Retail (Trail/Hike) (CRAMACAI), Trail Running & Outdoor Performance Accessories Retail (CRAMAAAH)

Keywords

• Running footwear retail
• Trail running equipment
• Hiking gear stores
• Specialty sports retail
• Gait analysis services

Headquarters

HQ city

Habère-poche

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices87 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Retail Product Sales: Running Conseil generates revenue through retail sales of running, trail, and hiking equipment including footwear, apparel, accessories, and electronics from their 91 physical stores across France. Additional revenue comes from their e-commerce platform running-conseil.com.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Running Conseil operates a cooperative network of 91 specialty retail stores across France and French overseas territories selling running, trail, and hiking footwear, apparel, accessories, electronics, and nutrition products. The retailer differentiates through in-store services including Feetbox® foot analysis and dynamic shoe testing, supported by a comprehensive e-commerce platform (running-conseil.com) offering more than 20,000 product references across nearly 50 partner brands.

Product overview

Running Conseil is a cooperative network of 91 specialized running, trail, and hiking retail stores operating as a unified e-commerce platform across France. The product portfolio centers on a comprehensive range of footwear (road running shoes, trail shoes, hiking shoes) across ~50 partner brands, complemented by technical apparel (tops, bottoms, jackets, compression wear), accessories (hydration, socks, caps, sunglasses), electronics (GPS watches from Garmin/Suunto, headphones including Shokz bone conduction, Compex electrostimulation), and sports nutrition. The retail platform is augmented by in-store services including Feetbox® gait analysis and dynamic shoe testing, as well as an integrated online training plan platform (Conseils-courseapied.com) offering FFA-certified training programs for 10km through marathon distances. The cooperative also offers its own private-label AERTH textile collection, and partners with Sports'N Connect (race calendar/registration) and Running Heroes (km-based rewards app).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Conseils-courseapied.com: A training advice platform founded by Gilles Dorval in 2005, offering free and paid training plans for 10km, half marathon, marathon, trail, and other running distances. Integrated into the Running Conseil ecosystem.

Products and services

• Running Shoes (Men/Women) Specialized road running shoes available in neutral, stability, and performance variants from brands including Brooks, HOKA, ASICS, Saucony, Mizuno, New Balance, Salomon, and La Sportiva. Sold through 91 retail stores and online to individual runners across France.
• Trail Running Shoes (Men/Women) Trail shoes with aggressive lugs designed for grip on muddy, rocky, and uneven terrain. Carries HOKA, Salomon, Scott, Brooks, Saucony, and La Sportiva models aimed at trail and ultra-trail runners.
• Hiking Shoes (Men/Women) Hiking footwear offering protection, durability, and comfort for long-duration trekking, sourced from brands such as Meindl, LOWA, and La Sportiva. Distributed across Running Conseil and Rando Conseil stores.
• Technical Running Apparel Technical tops, shorts, tights, jackets, and compression wear for men and women, including proprietary AERTH collection exclusive to Running Conseil stores.
• Running Accessories Hydration packs, compression socks, running belts, caps, sunglasses, and equipment from brands such as Compressport and BV Sport, sold across stores and e-commerce.
• GPS Watches and Heart Rate Monitors GPS watches and heart rate monitors from Garmin and Suunto for tracking running metrics, navigation, and training data.
• Sports Headphones Sports headphones and earbuds designed for running, including bone conduction headphones from Shokz.
• Electrostimulation Devices Electrical muscle stimulation devices for recovery and training enhancement from Compex and Bluetens.
• Sports Nutrition Sports nutrition products including gels, energy drinks, and supplements from Maurten, Overstim's, Baouw, and NÄAK.
• Feetbox® Gait Analysis Service In-store foot analysis technology developed with Sidas Academy, measuring foot length, width, type, and tibial alignment to recommend optimal running shoes, available in the majority of stores.
• Dynamic Shoe Testing Service In-store shoe testing service allowing customers to test multiple models on hundreds of meters with expert guidance from specialized sellers before purchase.
• Online Training Plans Online training plans for 10km, half marathon, marathon, and trail running designed by FFA-certified coach Gilles Dorval, delivered through the integrated Conseils-courseapied.com platform.
• Running Conseil Gift Cards Gift cards valid across all Running Conseil physical stores.

Quantifiable outcome

• Feetbox® provides precise foot measurements including length, width, type, and tibial alignment for accurate shoe fitting
• +1 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• SidascoreTechnology or IntegrationRunning Conseil partners with Sidas, a specialist in sports insoles, to offer Feetbox® foot analysis technology in the majority of their stores. Sidas Academy provides training for Running Conseil staff on foot analysis methodology. The partnership enables precise foot measurement for optimal shoe fitting.
• Sports'N ConnectcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerSports'N Connect is a race calendar and registration platform that partners with Running Conseil to provide co-branded challenges, Running Heroes rewards redeemable as gift cards at Running Conseil stores, and co-marketing at events. The partnership drives customer acquisition through race participation and rewards loyalty.
• Running HeroescoreGTM or Marketing PartnerRunning Heroes is a fitness rewards application that transforms kilometers into points redeemable for discounts. The partnership enables Running Heroes members to earn gift cards valid at Running Conseil stores, creating a rewards loop that incentivizes both activity and purchases.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Snowleader: French specialist outdoor and trail retailer (with physical stores and e-commerce) covering trail running, hiking and mountain apparel/footwear from brands Running Conseil also carries; comparable specialist positioning at higher mountain/outdoor intensity.
• Courir: Leading French footwear specialty chain with strong running and sports-lifestyle assortment; competes directly for the same multi-brand running shoe shopper, with a more fashion-led tilt but increasingly overlapping on performance running.
• Schwarz & Sport (i-Run): French online specialty running retailer with multi-brand running, trail and outdoor assortment — competes most directly with running-conseil.com's e-commerce side and pushes Running Conseil's online margin and assortment.
• Intersport France: One of the largest multi-brand sporting-goods retailers in France and the global #1 sporting-goods network; competes head-on with Running Conseil across running, trail and hiking footwear and apparel at price points both above and below.
• Go Sport France: Historic French sporting-goods retailer carrying running, trail and hiking ranges from major brands; partial overlap on target shopper and category mix, with broader team-sports exposure outside Running Conseil's specialist focus.
• Sport 2000 France: French cooperative of independent specialty sporting-goods retailers sharing central brand partnerships, marketing and digital infrastructure — directly comparable to Running Conseil's cooperative structure and multi-store independent model, only broader across more sports.

Broad incumbents

• Decathlon: Largest sporting-goods retailer in France with massive private-label running and trail assortment (Kiprun, Quechua) — significant overlap in customer and categories, but operates as a vertically-integrated mass-market incumbent rather than a specialist reseller.
• Zalando (France): Pan-European online fashion and footwear platform that has become a significant third-party retail channel for running brands, competing with running-conseil.com on convenience, range, and price-led discovery.

Others

• HOKA (Deckers Brands): Premium running and trail brand carried by Running Conseil via wholesale; its growing DTC store and online strategy directly impacts Running Conseil's wholesale margin and exclusive merchandising, making it a key partner/rival combination.

Emerging players

• Au Vieux Campeur: Heritage French specialty outdoor retailer with deep trail, hiking and mountain footwear expertise; overlaps meaningfully on the hiking/trail footwear shopper, though smaller share of pure road running than Running Conseil.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@RunningRandoConseil
• Facebookfacebook.com/runningconseilfrance
• Instagraminstagram.com/runningconseilfrance/?hl=fr
• Xx.com/Runningconseil
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/running-conseil

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Running Conseil