“We’re really excited that our new in-store format breaks the traditional retail set up”
18:49, 27 Aug 2026Updated 18:49, 27 Aug 2026
John Lewis in Cheadle has unveiled a new department(Image: MEN)
The huge John Lewis department store in Cheadle has unveiled a major new devolopment that they are hailing a “UK first” for the company. Shoppers at the store will have noticed that works have been ongoing in the basement of the three-level store for the past few weeks.
But on Thursday (August 27), the new area was unveiled at John Lewis – to become the store’s first ever dedicated sports department. Sitting on the same floor as menswear, furniture and electricals, the new sports area 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” and the Cheadle development follows hot on the heels of dedicated sports floors in its Oxford Street and Liverpool stores.
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Bosses say they are now offering the “best curation of high-performance apparel and wellbeing technology to help customers live well and live better”. It showcases products in Training, Performance Sport, and Running, as well as a full selection of swimming equipment.
A new wall of trainers at John Lewis(Image: MEN)
There’s also a huge new wall of trainers for both men and women. As part of the wider Sports relaunch, powerhouse brand Nike has rejoined the curated brand edit alongside customer favourites Adidas, Puma and Under Armour.
Also in store is ranges from golf specialist J.Lindeberg and outdoors brands Patagonia and North Face. Across footwear, the range has been built around specialist brands such as Asics, Brooks and Salomon.
Bosses say the ranges have been carefully selected so that customers can choose a sports wardrobe that is “tailored to their needs”, from specialist running trainers and water-repellant hiking shorts to the softest yoga pants and hyrox-ready matching sets. There’s also a range of sports therapy equipment like massage guns in store too.
The new hi-tech sports department(Image: MEN)
In-store shoppers at selected stores can also enjoy two free layers of gait analysis, ranging from an easy, self-serve scanner for quick recommendations to an in-depth, treadmill-based analysis via Peloton.
There’s also a wellness tech hub with brands includling Whoop, Oura and Shokz available to buy and explore. It comes as John Lewis say that fitness trackers are proving popular with customers with sales +27% vs last year.
Customers looking for an at-home gym experience can also discover a range of premium sports equipment from brands like Peloton, NordicTrack and Speediance offering exercise bikes, treadmills, pop up resistance trainers and reformer pilates machines. There’s also a demo of a new AI Fitness Mirror from Magic AI.
New sportswear at the store(Image: MEN)
Enni Charlton, Sports Buying Manager says: “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.”
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’.
The new 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, which includes residents of Cheadle, Saturday is the most popular day for ‘social-cising’, offering a healthy, time-efficient way to stay connected according to the study.
You can now get free gait analysis in store too which recommends trainers(Image: MEN)
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.