( Ryka, INC.: Lightweight Athletic Shoes for Women
Business and Industry Analysis)
Ryka is doing business of athletic shoes for women, which are made on the shape of a woman’s foot, and are designed and developed considering women’s unique fit needs. It is the only athletic footwear company, which is exclusively for women, by women, and now supporting women. Because a woman’s needs in a comfortable, attractive, high performance athletic shoes that are attractive, comfortable, and well suited for exercise and physical fitness programs are different from a man’s. Therefore, it places Ryka shoes among the highest rated in the industry. The athletic footwear industry was divided into various submarkets by end-use specialization. Ryka competed in only three segments: aerobic, walking, and cross-training shoes. Ryka had focused on performance rather than fashion because Poe believed that fashion-athletic footwear was susceptible to faddish trends and to ups and downs in the economy, whereas the demand for performance shoes was based on the ongoing need of women to protect their physical well-being. Ryka cut back on its product line and began to focus primarily on aerobic shoes and secondarily on walking shoes. Poe did not believe that Ryka had to become an industry giant to succeed. SWOT Analysis  Strength: Poe’s image and profile were the most critical components in Ryka’s marketing strategy. Poe had successfully worked the female angle: she appealed to contemporary working women because, while being something of a celebrity, she came across as a down-to-earth woman who just happened to be a successful executive. Ryka had made a commitment to demonstrate social responsibility. It was “the first athletic shoe with a soul.” She believed that the foundation would appeal to Ryka customers who appreciated the idea that their buying power was helping less fortunate women.