John Lewis to take on sports and wellness with new investment

British department store John Lewis, which has 38 shops and a strong omnichannel presence, is looking to take on the fitness boom with a new sports and wellness concept, aimed at bringing sportswear, footwear, wearable technology, recovery, AI-powered fitness and expert services together in one destination.

Described by the retailer as “reinventing sports retail,” the multi-million-pound investment has transformed the sports departments at Oxford Street, Liverpool and Cheadle, and created a completely new department in Glasgow, as part of John Lewis’ wider 800 million pound transformation programme.

The move draws on data from its customers, such as how searches for hiking kits on its website are up 34 percent year-on-year, and searches for women’s running trainers are up 100 percent with men's running trainers up 280 percent, while customer interest in performance, recovery and wellbeing is also on the increase, with searches for therabody massage guns and red light therapy.

John Lewis opens new sports and wellness concept

The reimagined spaces span between 4,500 and 4,900 square feet and feature premium sports brands, including Nike, Brooks and Patagonia alongside wearable technology from Garmin, Oura and Whoop, recovery products from Therabody, and premium home fitness equipment from Peloton, NordicTrack and Speediance, as it looks to take on sportswear retailers such as Sports Direct and JD Sports.

The concept also introduces free gait analysis, ranging from a self-service scanner offering quick recommendations to more in-depth treadmill-based analysis via Peloton, designed to help customers find the right footwear for the way they run and train, as well as AI-powered MagicAI’s intelligent fitness mirror, which provides personalised, on-demand training, real-time rep counting and form correction. It will be the first time the technology has been available in stores outside London and the South East, reflecting the growing role AI is playing in how customers train and track their performance.

In addition, John Lewis will also be introducing monthly ‘Jog Lewis’ running clubs at all four 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 in a statement: “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, followed by Liverpool on August 19, Cheadle on August 26 and Glasgow in late September.