John Lewis has launched a Sports and Wellness department format at four UK locations – Oxford Street, Liverpool, Cheadle and Glasgow – each covering around 5,000 sq ft, stocking Nike, Garmin, Oura, Whoop and Peloton. Part of an £800 million transformation programme.
British department store John Lewis is making a significant push into sports retail with the launch of a new Sports and Wellness department format, becoming what it claims is the first UK retailer to bring sportswear, footwear, wearable technology, recovery products, AI-powered fitness and expert services together under one roof.
The concept behind the investment
The multi-million-pound investment transforms sports departments at Oxford Street, Liverpool and Cheadle, and creates a completely new department in Glasgow, as part of the retailer’s wider £800 million (€933m) transformation programme.
Each location covers around 5,000 sq ft and is organised around fitness goals – running, training, outdoor – rather than traditional product categories.
Brands stocked will include Nike, Brooks and Patagonia alongside wearable technology from Garmin, Oura and Whoop, and home fitness equipment from Peloton, NordicTrack and Speediance.
The format also introduces free gait analysis, monthly Jog Lewis run clubs and AI-powered fitness mirror provider MagicAI.
Strong internal demand signals
The move is backed by John Lewis’ own reported internal data:
● sales of fitness trackers are up almost 30% year on year;
● connected home fitness equipment sales are up 27%;
● searches for Therabody massage guns have risen over 250%;
● and searches for red light therapy have increased 380%.
Searches for men’s running trainers on the John Lewis site are also up 280 percent year on year.
Department store now betting on wellness
For the sporting goods industry, the launch is a clear signal that premium department store retail sees sports and wellness as a growth category worth serious capital investment.
With the wellness industry expected to grow to £141 billion by 2034 according to IMARC, John Lewis is positioning itself as a destination rather than a convenience stop for fitness shoppers.
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