After 26 years at the helm of Runners High ‘n Tri in downtown Arlington Heights, store owner Mark Rouse has witnessed the demise of many neighboring family-owned businesses that were shuttered by a rapidly changing retail economy. Rouse, 62, credits his loyal customers and a dedicated team of longtime employees with helping to ensure the success of this family-owned business that sells athletic shoes and apparel.
Q: What was downtown Arlington Heights like when you first opened Runners High ‘n Tri in 1990?
A: Well, there were a lot more small retailers downtown, and more independent mom-and-pop shops. But as with all of Main Street America, first the malls were taking away business from Main Street shops, and now it’s the internet. But we’ve continued to evolve, and that’s because of the great support we get from the community here in Arlington Heights. And I can’t express my appreciation enough to them.
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Q: How were you able to adapt your business operations to survive the changes in the way people shop?
A: You have to adapt to the times, and continue to change the way you operate your business, but you also need to stay involved at the store. I do work a lot of hours, but I need to stay in touch with what our customers are doing and what they want. We have a wide range of customers, ranging from high school athletes, to runners preparing for the Chicago Marathon or their first 5K run, to the shopper that just wants to buy a good pair of flip-flops to bring on vacation. We are a lot of different things to a lot of people, and we pride ourselves with being able to change rapidly, as needed.
Q: What is a typical day for you regarding your own workout?
A: This morning I went for an early morning hike, and watched the sun come up. But my workout changed a lot two years ago, when I had what’s called a “triple A,” an ascending aortic aneurysm, right here in the store, just after we had closed. Seven months before, the same thing had happened to my 27-year-old nephew, and he didn’t make it, so I had a lot of survivor’s guilt. My wife, Pom, and I have been married for 18 years, and our daughter is 15, and I knew I wanted to spend more time with them, so I made some big changes in my life, like closing the store on Sundays. I also had to make changes to my workout routine. We’re all living longer lives these days, and while you can’t reverse your age, you can slow it down.
Q: Do you have any advice to share with those hoping to open mom-and-pop businesses in the future?
A: I think being intertwined with the community is extremely important. Just because you’re located in downtown Arlington Heights, you can’t expect that people in town are automatically going to shop with you. People need to know they will be getting good service, good products and good prices, too.
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