John Lewis, the British department store chain, has launched a new sports and wellness in-store concept, aiming to become “the first UK retailer to combine sportswear, footwear, wearable technology, recovery, AI-powered fitness, and expert services in one location,” the retailer said in a media statement.
This multi-million-pound investment is part of a larger £800 million ($1.1bn) injection into John Lewis’ 36 stores across the UK. The retailer has launched the concept at the department store’s Oxford Street site, before it rolls out to Liverpool on August 19, Cheadle on August 26 and Glasgow in late September.
The financial investment is set “to transform how customers shop for fitness, health and wellbeing by bringing together everything [consumers] need to support the way they train,” John Lewis said. The rollout comes as customers “increasingly shop around a fitness goal rather than an individual product or traditional retail category,” according to the retailer.
Each department spans roughly 5,000 square feet and is arranged by activities including running, training and outdoor pursuits. Featured brands include Nike, Brooks, Patagonia, Garmin, Oura, Whoop, Therabody, Peloton, NordicTrack, and Speediance.
Consumers will also have access to the retailer’s services including free gait analysis and MagicAI’s intelligent fitness mirror. The company will launch monthly ‘jog Lewis’ run clubs across all four of its retail locations.
Peter Ruis, managing director of John Lewis, said, “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.”
Image courtesy John Lewis
