The bowl, skating lessons. Oxford St. London. 2022
Athleisure On Our Highstreets
Opinions
All of us have exercise in our daily lives. For some it’s cycling or walking to work, for others it’s a steady healthy gym membership, in some cases it’s conquering terrain that requires serious outdoor attire. Wellbeing for our bodies and soul is big business on our high streets. It is one of the fastest growing and aspiring sectors in recent years and we are seeing it flourish.
Bike parking area for customer bikes as they grab a cup of their favourite brew in the Rapha coffee dock.
In order to stand out, brands such as lululemon, Rapha, Supreme, Gymshark, 66 Degrees North and many more are hitting the premium spots in our cities and making their mark. Concepts are competitive and striving to provide all manner of fitness including - nutritional restaurants, workshops, showcasing technology, storytelling, events, studios amongst others, all under one roof.
Adaptability in these spaces is key. Movable walls and tables that can be raised and lowered to allow different layouts in the store and fitness classes at street level. This creates a buzz and talking point around the brand and promotes flexibility in the store.
This high functioning, ready-to-go way of being is no longer just something we do in the gym or in our spare time. It’s crossing more and more into our homes; our places of work and it’s changing our fashion landscape.
Looking around we are seeing more streetwear, activewear and athleisure stories in both towns and cities.
Overstocked reduces the customer experience.
As consumers we are becoming more active. More of us are buying into fashion that has breathable, stretchable, high performance, waterproof and windproof qualities and we are wearing them in our day to day lives.
High performance apparel seems to be pointing towards just how ready we are in everything we do. Just say the word and we can run a marathon!
Perhaps delivering better impact on our high streets would be to see more space dedicated to championing clubs like boxing, skateboarding, athletics etc.
These affiliations would bring the essence of community into an experience-led retail environment, where the sport leads and it is supported by the brand making it a far more natural and positive collaboration.
Athleisure has the opportunity to bring more feel-good emotions and connectivity to its participants and followers.