Episode 2 & 3 Podcast: State of the Retail Market with Frank Nitty "MrBallinonaBudget"

Sneakerhead, Techie and YouTuber

For most people looking good is synonymous with feeling good and within the sneaker community there’s always the lingering pressure of the fit check and what’s on feet but what we don’t often talk about is how out of reach some of the grails and toughest fits are from the average everyday person.
In a masterfully delivered two-part master class we sit with one of our newest family members to sing the praises of the Sole Premise bag line and advocate on behalf of the brand. He’s also one of the humblest influencers I’ve come across while working here with the Sole Premise team. YouTube sensation “MrBallinonaBudget” himself Frank Nitty has carved out a very important niche in not just the YouTube market but almost more importantly the retail sneaker market as the authority on all Specials, Deals, Giveaways, and Discounts that the industry has to offer. He has developed and committed audience on his platform both on YouTube and Instagram that respect and trust his input and rely on his daily visits to Outlets and Retailers across the US to get the best steals and deals on their favorite shoes and clothes.
With over 76k subscribers to his YouTube and over 18.6M views to date across all videos, placing Frank Nitty in the top 2% of YouTube Influencers globally, it’s safe to say he is a trusted resource and Anthony was not shy at all in letting us know right out the gate just how far back his history of listening to Nitty’s advice and tips go. College is a challenging time financially for most people and when wanting to wear and style himself with his favorite Nike and Jordan brand shoes and attire it was Nitty’s instinct and advice that allowed him to know what outlets and clearance locations to get the best steals and deals and that has always been Nitty’s goal stating, “I provide value man, I definitely started off something that was personal, I wanted to find deals myself and at the same time I figured if I can do this, I can help others.”
That innate desire to help others save and thrive in a market that is often seen as out of reach or exclusive to more affluent individuals lead it to became a vlog series where Nitty couldn’t wait to go back and find more to share with his audience, even making the 1.5 hour drive multiple times a week from where resided at the time in Ocala, to some of the hottest sneaker outlet locations in Orlando, Kissimmee, and Daytona.
Frank Nitty’s evolution to becoming the “Breaking News” channel for sneaker deals as “MrBallinOnABudget” he attributes to a conversation he had with Sole Premise President and CEO Anthony Fernandez where after having a talk about branding himself and creating a presence across all platforms, Fernandez was adamant despite Nitty’s hesitancy.The natural synergy of both brands working together to continue to provide value to the sneaker community created a bond that has elevated “MrBallinOnABudget” to new heights. He has now grown his platform to where it is and is breathing new life and confidence into the retail and outlet market, but he knows better than most the changes we have seen in the Retail market. Nitty attributes that change to the moment where buying and reselling sneakers became a “hassle-free process done from an app or website rather than having to walk in store and stand in line.” Any given person with the capital available could buy multiple pairs from the comfort of their home to dry out the market and resell for profit.
This packed two-part conversation continued to bring value as Frank and the panel of hosts Anthony, and the dynamic duo, Jae and Jay, got into the trenches of the larger effect that resellers have had on the retail market leading giants such as NIKE to rethink their partnerships with retail partners to consolidate their stock and profits in house. This is a drastic step that Nitty states he saw coming, stating, “the numbers are in their favor, they are going to sell shoes regardless.” Meanwhile Anthony saw it from the small business to big business standpoint where if we as Sole Premise felt the strain both financially and on the customer support front from unprecedented supply chain issues and shipping delays, imagine a Foot Locker knocking on the door of Nike expecting shipment of product and the added cost and stress associated with maintaining that relationship and continuing to do business with outside retailers. You will not want to miss Nitty’s brilliant explanation of the distribution breakdown of the different tiers of retail partnerships with Nike and how that affected this decision to keep the stock in their own stores and the SNKR app moving forward, which led to what’s next? How does the retail sneaker market grown evolve and stay relevant? Click into The Sole Premise Podcast episodes 2 and 3 with “MrBallinOnABudget” Frank Nitty and let us know what you think of the ideas we came up with.The Sole Premise Podcast is available on our hosting site as well as across all major podcast sources including iTunes, Spotify, IHeart, & more.

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