John Lewis is to introduce a refreshed sports and wellbeing department at its Reading shop as part of a nationwide £800 million investment into its 36 stores. The retailer says the new in‑store areas will combine clothing, footwear, wearable technology, recovery products and home fitness equipment in one dedicated space.
What the change will look like in Reading
The new departments are designed to be up to about 5,000 square feet and to allow customers to move easily between apparel, footwear, tech and home fitness sections. The Reading shop in Broad Street Mall is listed among the sites across the UK that will benefit from the cash injection.
The concept has already been trialled at the John Lewis site on London’s Oxford Street. The wider roll‑out will see similar redevelopments scheduled for stores in Liverpool and Cheadle, as well as a new department in the Glasgow branch.
Brands and services on offer
The retailer says the departments will stock a mix of recognised sports and outdoor names alongside wearable and home fitness technology. According to the announcement, the range will include apparel and footwear from brands such as Nike, Brooks and Patagonia, wearable devices from Garmin, Oura and Whoop, recovery products from Therabody and home equipment from Peloton, NordicTrack and Speediance.
- Free gait analysis and technology to help customers choose footwear
- Integration of expert services to support fitness goals
- Dedicated zones for wearable tech, recovery and home fitness
"Customers increasingly shop around a goal rather than a traditional retail category," said John Lewis managing director Peter Ruis.
Why this matters locally
For Reading shoppers the change means a single destination where running shoes, training apparel, wearable trackers and home equipment can be previewed and purchased together. That unified approach is intended to compete with specialist sports chains and technology retailers by bringing multiple product types and expert services into one place.
The investment is part of John Lewis Partnership’s multi‑million pound plan to modernise stores and strengthen its high‑street presence. For the Broad Street Mall, the enlarged offer could draw more footfall and provide locals with access to services — such as gait analysis — that are often found only at specialist outlets.
| Store | Planned change |
|---|---|
| Reading (Broad Street Mall) | New sports and wellbeing department |
| London (Oxford Street) | Already transformed |
| Liverpool, Cheadle, Glasgow | Redevelopments / new department |
Local customers wanting more detail on timings and exact offerings at the Reading store should check John Lewis’s website or contact the Broad Street Mall branch directly, as the partnership has not published a full rollout schedule for every location.
The move reflects a broader retail trend of experience‑driven layouts and specialist services being added to department stores as they adapt to changing shopping habits.
