With the introduction of a new Sports & Wellness concept, John Lewis is redefining sports retail and becoming the first UK shop to offer wearable technology, sportswear, footwear, recovery, AI-powered fitness, and professional services all in one location.
The multimillion-pound initiative, which debuted at the Oxford Street store before expanding to Liverpool, Cheadle, and Glasgow, revolutionises the way consumers buy for fitness, health, and wellness by combining everything they require to support their training regimen.
The investment is a component of John Lewis’ broader £800 million transformation effort, which underscores the retailer’s goal of developing more motivating, integrated shopping experiences across its stores, website, and app.
John Lewis is establishing itself as a major participant in the wellness sector, which IMARC projects will reach £141 billion by 2034 at a growth rate of 3.6%.
Instead of focusing on a single item or conventional retail category, consumers are increasingly shopping around fitness objectives. For instance, a person preparing for their first marathon could require technical apparel, shoes, a GPS watch, headphones, recovery supplies, and guidance on proper fit.
For the first time, the new structure unifies all those requirements, enabling customers to find, evaluate, and try products, access specialised services, and get professional guidance in-store, all backed by the convenience and scope of John Lewis’ online selection.
Customers may easily travel between clothing, footwear, technology, home exercise, and recovery thanks to each department’s around 5,000 square feet of area.
Customers may discover all they need for their fitness journey in one location thanks to the departments’ arrangement on activities like running, training, and outdoor pursuits rather than traditional retail categories.
With its combination of high-end international brands, knowledgeable partners, national stores, and a robust digital offering, John Lewis feels it is in a unique position to offer the concept, allowing customers to effortlessly transition between the breadth and convenience of online shopping and in-store inspiration, guidance, and services.
Additionally, the shop has noticed an increase in connected wellness demand. Growing consumer interest in performance, recuperation, and well-being is reflected in the nearly 30% annual increase in sales of fitness trackers, the 27% increase in sales of connected fitness home equipment, the over 250% increase in searches for Therabody massage guns on John Lewis.com, and the 380% increase in searches for red light therapy.
In addition to wearable technology from Garmin, Oura, and Whoop, recovery goods from Therabody, and high-end home fitness equipment from Peloton, NordicTrack, and Speediance, customers will be able to purchase luxury sports brands like Nike, Brooks, and Patagonia.
Additionally, the concept offers free gait analysis, which ranges from a self-service scanner that makes rapid recommendations to a more thorough treadmill-based study thru Peloton, assisting clients in selecting the appropriate shoes for their training and running styles. In order to assist consumers in selecting the appropriate footwear based on their gait study, John Lewis will have departments with professionally trained Partners.
MagicAI’s intelligent fitness mirror, which offers customised, on-demand training, real-time rep counting, and form correction, will be a feature of AI-powered fitness. The technology will be offered in stores outside of London and the South East for the first time, demonstrating the expanding role AI is playing in how consumers train and monitor their performance.
Additionally, monthly “Jog Lewis” run clubs will be introduced at all four locations, offering patrons the chance to participate in social-paced group runs, test products, get professional guidance, and establish connections with nearby running communities.
“Consumers are increasingly shopping around a goal rather than a traditional retail category,” stated Peter Ruis, Managing Director of John Lewis. People want everything they need in one location, whether they’re preparing for their first marathon, starting Hyrox, or just trying to live a healthier lifestyle.
“We are in a unique position to assist clients at every stage of their fitness journey, from locating the ideal footwear and technical apparel to learning about the newest wearable technology, home fitness, and recovery products, thanks to our combination of top brands, knowledgeable Partners, national stores, and robust digital offer.
This is a crucial step in our larger endeavour to give customers more motivating, integrated experiences no matter where or how they choose to purchase with us.
John Lewis Oxford Street is the department’s current location. Liverpool will open on August 19, Cheadle on August 26, and Glasgow in late September.
Additionally, the John Lewis app and johnlewis.com provide the entire Sports & Fitness line.
The relaunch of the company’s sports and wellness product line is a “significant step” in its large retail investment strategy, according to boss Peter Ruis.
The department store company, which is a member of the John Lewis Partnership group, announced that it will be the first retailer in the UK to combine sportswear, footwear, wearable technology, recuperation, AI-powered fitness, and professional services in one place thanks to its new sports and wellbeing departments.
The move will enable the company to compete with both technological experts and major sportswear competitors like Sports Direct.
The sports section at its Oxford Street location in London has already seen a transformation thanks to the multimillion-pound renovation.
Along with a new section at its Glasgow store, it will also finance comparable redevelopments in Cheadle and Liverpool.
The divisions, which will span up to 5,000 square feet, are meant to make it simple for customers to navigate between clothing, shoes, technology, home exercise, and recuperation.
In addition to wearable technology from Garmin, Oura, and Whoop, recovery goods from Therabody, and high-end home workout equipment from Peloton, NordicTrack, and Speediance, the concept will feature sports labels like Nike, Brooks, and Patagonia.
Additionally, free gait analysis and other technologies will be available to consumers to assist them in selecting appropriate footwear and other items.
The investment is a portion of John Lewis’s £800 million capital infusion into its 36 UK locations.
The Broad Street Mall in Reading has one of them.
Customers increasingly shop around a goal rather than a typical retail category, according to Mr. Ruis, managing director of John Lewis. “Whether someone is training for their first marathon, taking up Hyrox, or simply looking to live a healthier lifestyle, they want everything they need in one place.”
We are uniquely positioned to assist clients at every stage of their fitness journey, from locating the ideal footwear and technical apparel to learning about the newest wearable technology, home fitness, and recovery products, thanks to our combination of top brands, knowledgeable partners, national stores, and robust digital offer.”