John Lewis: connected home fitness sales up 27% year-on-year

John Lewis has reported a 27% year-on-year rise in connected home fitness equipment sales, releasing the figure alongside the launch of a new Sports & Wellness department that opened at its Oxford Street store on 30 July 2026. The retailer says the format — the first of its kind in the UK, it claims — brings together sportswear, footwear, wearable technology, recovery products, AI-powered fitness tools and expert services under one roof for the first time at a British retailer.

The Oxford Street site spans 4,800 sq ft. Three further openings are confirmed: Liverpool on 19 August (4,500 sq ft), Cheadle on 26 August (4,900 sq ft), and Glasgow in late September, where a completely new department will be created rather than an existing one transformed. The investment forms part of John Lewis's wider £800 million transformation programme, though the retailer has not confirmed the specific financial value of the sports rollout alone.

What the numbers say

According to John Lewis internal data released alongside the launch, the figures point to a sharp and broad-based shift in how customers are spending on fitness. Alongside the 27% rise in connected home fitness equipment sales, sales of fitness trackers are up by almost 30% year-on-year. Searches on johnlewis.com tell a similar story: gym equipment searches are up 25%, searches for women's running trainers have doubled, and searches for men's running trainers have surged by 280%.

Recovery technology is moving fast too. Searches for Therabody massage guns on the John Lewis site have risen by more than 250%, while searches for red light therapy are up 380%. The retailer cautions that these are internal figures and no independent third-party verification has been published.

Consumer research commissioned by John Lewis — an OnePoll survey of 2,000 nationally representative UK adults conducted between 23 and 27 July 2026 — found that 57% of UK adults who exercise now track their biometric data. The wellness industry as a whole is expected to grow to £141 billion by 2034, at a growth rate of 3.6%, according to market researcher IMARC.

Inside the new departments

The departments are organised around fitness goals — running, training, outdoor — rather than traditional product categories. Featured brands include Nike, Brooks, Patagonia, Garmin, Oura, Whoop, Therabody, Peloton, NordicTrack and Speediance.

Among the headline in-store features is free gait analysis, ranging from a quick self-service scanner to an in-depth treadmill-based assessment via the Peloton Tread. An AI-powered fitness mirror from MagicAI will offer personalised training sessions, real-time rep counting and form correction. Monthly 'Jog Lewis' run clubs will also launch across all four locations, giving customers the chance to test products on the move, access expert advice and link up with local running communities.

Peter Ruis, Managing Director of John Lewis, said the shift in customer behaviour was central to the new format's rationale:

"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."

Northern Gym Equipment comes on board

Running alongside the store launch is a new retail partnership announced on 4 August 2026. Northern Gym Equipment (NGE), described as one of the UK's fastest-growing home fitness brands, has joined John Lewis's online platform to bring its range of premium home gym accessories to customers nationwide. The range includes neoprene dumbbells and kettlebells, dumbbell handles, hip bands, hollow rollers, pilates rings, swiss balls, yoga mats and yoga blocks, offered in what NGE describes as classic and contemporary colour palettes. Within its first week on the John Lewis site, NGE was reported to be among the top-performing gym equipment brands on the platform. Individual product prices have not been confirmed.

Bimbola Akinloye, Buyer for Fashion Brands at John Lewis Partnership, said the brand fitted the retailer's direction of travel: "Our customers want products that fit seamlessly into the way they live today, and home fitness and wellbeing is becoming an increasingly important part of that. It is a key investment category for John Lewis."

Mahavir Singh Nerwan, Co-founder and Director of Northern Gym Equipment, pointed to shifting lifestyle patterns as the engine behind sustained home fitness investment: "Changes in working patterns and lifestyles, with hybrid working, busy family schedules and flexible routines are driving sustained investment in home fitness. Today's home gym isn't a room hidden away — it's an extension of the home, designed to reflect personal style as much as performance."

What's next — and what it means for buyers

The full Sports & Wellness range is available at johnlewis.com and through the John Lewis app, meaning shoppers outside the four physical locations can access the expanded product offer from the outset. The Glasgow opening, expected in late September, will be the only entirely new department rather than a transformation of an existing space.

• Free gait analysis is available in-store at Oxford Street now, and will roll out to Liverpool and Cheadle from their respective opening dates.
• The 'Jog Lewis' run clubs are planned monthly across all four sites.
• In March 2026, John Lewis also began testing sales through TikTok Shop and invested in AI-powered shopping capabilities as part of the same multi-year transformation.

For anyone who has found fitness tech fragmented across specialist websites and independent shops, the promise of gait analysis, recovery devices, AI coaching and quality own-goal apparel in a single, staffed environment — backed by John Lewis's returns policy and service reputation — represents a meaningful change in what the British high street can offer the serious and the simply curious alike.