John Lewis is overhauling its sports and wellbeing offer in three of its department stores. The retail chain, part of the John Lewis Partnership alongside Waitrose, said the relaunched sports and wellbeing departments will make it the first UK retailer to bring sportswear, footwear, wearable technology, recovery, AI-powered fitness and expert services together in one location.
The multimillion-pound investment has already transformed the sports department in its flagship store on London's Oxford Street. It will also fund similar redevelopments in its sites in Liverpool and Cheadle, as well as a new department in its location in Glasgow's Buchanan Street. John Lewis is hoping to take advantage of the fitness boom and take on major players in sportswear, such as Sports Direct, as well as technology specialists.
What the new departments will offer
The sports-and-wellbeing-focused departments will be spread over up to some 5,000 square feet and have been designed so customers can move easily between apparel, footwear, technology, home fitness and recovery. They will feature sports brands including Nike, Brooks and Patagonia, as well as wearable tech from Garmin, Oura and Whoop, and recovery products from Therabody.
The concept will also sell premium home fitness equipment from major brands like Peloton, NordicTrack and Speediance. Customers will be able to access free gait analysis and other technology to help match them to the right shoes and other products.
What John Lewis says
Peter Ruis, managing director of John Lewis, told the Press Association: "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," he added.
Part of a wider transformation
The enhancement of the offering at select stores is part of a wider £800 million "brand transformation" for its 36 stores across the country.
