JD Sports expanding its businesses

JD Sports Fashion retailer is busy expanding its business model and preparing to enter the fitness category. The fashion and sportswear retailer has acquired its first fitness center in hopes of launching a chain of value health and leisure clubs. JD Sports has signed a ten-year lease for a former Fitness

First gym in Hull. The sportswear and fashion retailer has taken on Alun Peacock, former national operational manager of at DW Sports Fitness, to spearhead the new JD Gyms. Peacock stated that Hull was the right choice for the company's first gym as “the population is well educated in the fitness market,” so the new value gym should fit in.

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Sports set to launch chain of value fitness centers

The gym is set to undergo a series of renovations to upgrade its current facilities and add the newest fitness equipment. Peacocks adds that the expansion into the fitness and health market is a natural move for JD Sports. He said to Hull Daily Mail: “With our expertise in retail shop-fitting, we are bringing something a bit more than just a gym. We are investing one million pounds in the site and when you make that kind of investment you are committing to that project.”

The new JD gym will be another competitor for existing gyms and fitness centers in Hull, such as David Lloyd, Total Fitness and Nuffield Health. Renovations for the gym began earlier this week and JD Sports aims to open the fitness facility by the end of February, the first of many JD gyms. “We have a couple of other sites under offer in other big cities, but those are deals we are working on at the moment,” concluded Peacock.

JD Sports, which also owns fashion retailers Size?, Bank and Scotts, is reportedly planning on opening 15 new stores this year in the UK. Sources revealed to Drapers that JD Sports is preparing to relaunch its Open fashion venture, which was previously shut down in 2007, after the company centralized its fashion division. JD is thought to have already taken on a new team to help relaunch its fashion business. However, sources add that Open's previous concept is set to be renewed and introduced as a value fashion line.

JD Sports new concept focused on value fashion basics

A company spokesman comment: “JD has built an experienced team to launch a new own-brand fashion concept during the second half of 2014 and it is likely to trade as Open. The concept will be all about good value fashion basics for every day, It will not in any way resemble the previous Open concept operated by the group in Liverpool and Glasgow 10 years ago.”

The newly recruit team is said to consist of Stephen Galea as managing director, Stewart Messer as head of buying, Oliver Woodhouse as head of merchandising and Rachael Stocks Thomas as head of design. Both Galea and Messer held previous roles at Blue Inc, while Woodhouse was the former head of buying and merchandising at Bench. Thomas was previously senior men's designer at JD Sports.

JD Sports new value own-brand store concept and value gym highlight a change of pace for the company, who recently announced plans to introduce several new brands to its fashion brand Bank. Peter Cowgill, executive chairman previously commented during JD Sports Christmas trading update: “Throughout recent years of considerable change and expansion for the group, the core Sports Fascias’ proposition has continued to be developed and enhanced. I am delighted that the most recent six weeks’ trading has continued to give confidence for the future. I also expect considerable further progress elsewhere in the group in 2014.”

Photos: JD Sports, former Fitness First center in Hull, Bank owned by JD Sports Fashion.