Retailer, John Lewis, is launching a new Sports & Wellness concept at a number of its stores, including John Lewis Cheadle, as part of an ongoing £800 million transformation programme.
The retailer will bring together sportswear, footwear, wearable technology, recovery, AI-powered fitness and expert services together in one destination. John Lewis will launch the new concept first at its Oxford Street flagship in London, before rolling out to Liverpool, Cheadle and Glasgow stores.
Investment aims to transform how customers shop for fitness, health and wellbeing by bringing together everything they need to support the way they train. It is part of a wider strategy for the retailer of creating more inspiring, joined-up shopping experiences across its shops, website and app. With the wellness industry expected to grow to £141 billion by 2034, a growth rate of 3.6% according to IMARC, John Lewis is positioning itself as a key category player.
With customers increasingly shopping around a specific fitness goal, rather than an individual product, the new format brings all those needs together for the first time, allowing customers to discover, compare and try products, access specialist services and receive expert advice in store, supported by the breadth and convenience of John Lewis’ online range.
Each department spans some 5,000 sq ft, creating space for customers to move easily between apparel, footwear, technology, home fitness and recovery.
Rather than separating products into traditional retail categories, the departments are arranged around activities including running, training and outdoor pursuits, helping customers find everything they need for their fitness journey in one place. New technology will also be deployed alongside specially-trained Partners to advise customers, including free gait analysis and MagicAI’s intelligent fitness mirror.
Monthly ‘Jog Lewis’ run clubs will also launch at John Lewis Cheadle and other locations, giving customers the opportunity to join social-paced group runs, test products, access expert advice and connect with local running communities.
Peter Ruis, Managing Director of John Lewis, said:
“Customers increasingly shop around a goal rather than a traditional retail category. Whether someone’s training for their first marathon, taking up Hyrox or simply looking to live a healthier lifestyle, they want everything they need in one place.
“Our combination of leading brands, expert Partners, nationwide shops and strong digital offer means we’re uniquely placed to support customers across every part of their fitness journey – from finding the right footwear and technical clothing to discovering the latest wearable technology, home fitness and recovery products.
“This is another important step in our wider investment to create more inspiring, joined-up experiences for customers, however and wherever they choose to shop with us.”
The department is now open at John Lewis Oxford Street, and will open at John Lewis Cheadle on 26th August.
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