John Lewis has launched a Sports & Wellness department at its Oxford Street branch in London, UK, the first of four locations to receive the new format under its £800m ($1.07bn) transformation programme.
The multi-million-pound project brings together AI-powered fitness equipment, expert services, footwear, recovery products, sportswear, and wearable technology in one department.
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The new format replaces the retailer’s existing sports departments in Oxford Street, Liverpool and Cheadle, while also creating a new department in Glasgow.
Products are organised by activity, including running, training and outdoor pursuits, instead of traditional retail categories.
Brands featured in the department include Nike, Brooks and Patagonia for apparel; Garmin, Oura and Whoop for wearables; Therabody for recovery; and Peloton, NordicTrack and Speediance for home fitness equipment.
The offer includes “free gait analysis” through either a self-service scanner or a treadmill-based assessment using Peloton equipment, with trained staff on hand to provide footwear guidance.
John Lewis is also rolling out monthly “Jog Lewis” run clubs at all four locations.
The retailer said internal figures showed fitness tracker sales up almost 30% year-on-year, while connected fitness home equipment sales increased 27%.
It also said site searches for Therabody massage guns and red light therapy rose by more than 250% and 380% respectively.
Following the Oxford Street opening, the concept is due to launch in Liverpool on 19 August, Cheadle on 26 August, and Glasgow in late September. Each department covers 5,000ft².
John Lewis managing director Peter Ruis said: “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.”
In March, John Lewis invested in AI-powered shopping capabilities and began testing sales through TikTok Shop as part of its multi-year transformation programme.
