Gazelle Sports customers are “off the charts” wonderful any time of the year, but they really rock at the holidays.

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In December, we welcome shoppers into our store who might not otherwise frequent a running or soccer specialty store to fulfill their personal needs. These customers are hunting for the perfect gifts for their loved ones. Sometimes our customers are armed with a copy of an e-mail wish list with a particular brand, style and size – but more often they visit us with just a twinkle in their eye as they plot their surprise treasure for their active spouse, parent, offspring or friend. It is an absolute treat to assist these eager shoppers who are lovingly selecting  “the” remarkable gift. We bear witness to true acts of kindness over and over and over.

Perhaps you would imagine frantic, harried and unhappy shoppers during retail’s busiest time of the year… but that is not what we experience. Take the sweet 30-something young man who researched, debated, vacillated and AGONIZED over the selection of the A++ running jacket for his wife. One well-studied hour later, he chose a beautiful Pearl Izumi wind shell. Now that’s love. Or the gentleman and his son who, with my assistance, assembled a winter running “wardrobe” for his wife who, he tells me with enthusiasm and pride, is preparing to run the Boston Marathon in April. And the woman, whose grown daughter recently had her first child and was feeling poorly about her physical fitness… together, we packaged a “return to yoga” outfit to encourage her daughter to take good care of herself while she learns about balancing the demands of parenthood. One final example is the grandma who purchases Smartwool socks for everyone on her gift list every year. She was especially thrilled to see the Smartwool socks for infants… for her newest GREATgrandchildren. She was so sweet; she gave me a hug as she departed. Mrs. Claus?

Gazelle Sports employees often take the time to write a little note to a new customer or when a special relationship develops. However, at the holidays, we are VERY careful not to mention specifics or to not mail a postcard if the gift recipient is in the same household. As your co-conspirator “elves,” we respect the element of surprise!

To all of those gleeful holiday shoppers that we encounter daily, we wish for you year-round happiness. And for those new customers, we invite you back in 2012… perhaps shopping for gear to support your own active lifestyle. I know that I can’t wait to assist you.

Ho, ho, ho!