John Lewis in Cheadle has opened its first dedicated sports department, a move the retailer is calling a "UK first" for the company. The new area, located in the basement of the three-level store alongside menswear, furniture and electricals, is now fully open to shoppers.
The national retailer claims it is the "first in the UK to bring together fitness apparel, sports tech and expert equipment into one space". The Cheadle development follows the introduction of dedicated sports floors in its Oxford Street and Liverpool stores.
New brands and products
Bosses say the store now offers the "best curation of high-performance apparel and wellbeing technology to help customers live well and live better". The department showcases products in Training, Performance Sport, and Running, as well as a full selection of swimming equipment.
A huge new wall of trainers for men and women has been installed. As part of the wider sports relaunch, Nike has rejoined the curated brand edit alongside Adidas, Puma and Under Armour. The store also carries ranges from golf specialist J.Lindeberg and outdoors brands Patagonia and North Face. Footwear has been built around specialist brands such as Asics, Brooks and Salomon.
The ranges have been carefully selected so customers can choose a sports wardrobe "tailored to their needs", from specialist running trainers and water-repellant hiking shorts to yoga pants and hyrox-ready matching sets. Sports therapy equipment, including massage guns, is also available.
Gait analysis and wellness tech
Shoppers at selected stores can enjoy two free layers of gait analysis, ranging from a self-serve scanner for quick recommendations to an in-depth, treadmill-based analysis via Peloton. A wellness tech hub features brands including Whoop, Oura and Shokz.
John Lewis says fitness trackers are proving popular with customers, with sales up 27% versus last year. Customers looking for an at-home gym experience can discover premium equipment from brands like Peloton, NordicTrack and Speediance, offering exercise bikes, treadmills, pop up resistance trainers and reformer pilates machines. There is also a demo of a new AI Fitness Mirror from Magic AI.
Enni Charlton, Sports Buying Manager, said: "We’re really excited that our new in-store format breaks the traditional retail set up; integrating wearables, recovery tools, and fitness equipment directly alongside apparel and footwear. By zoning the floor by activity rather than product category, we’re able to offer our customers a brand new discovery space that makes it easier to find what they need."
Social-cising trend and run club
The investment comes as a new approach to fitness sweeps the nation. Nearly half of UK adults (42%) admit to combining exercise with social plans more frequently than ever before - a phenomenon called 'social-cising'.
Research from John Lewis highlights that in the North West of England, one in two (51%) adults would be likely to choose an exercise activity, such as a run, padel, a cycle or a fitness class, combined with socialising over traditional social activities such as drinks or eating out. For the same group, Saturday is the most popular day for 'social-cising'.
John Lewis has also launched a monthly run club, 'Jog Lewis', partnering with brands like Asics and Peloton. The run clubs will be available to join at the Oxford St, Liverpool, Cheadle and Glasgow stores and bookable via Eventbrite.
The new sports department has opened months after it was announced that the store will also be one of the first to trial a new style of cafe in the year ahead. The current "Place to Eat" cafe on the top floor will become "Platter", a new all-day dining experience, by the end of 2027.
