Debenhams is about to start rolling out in-store gyms from next month, as it seeks ways to drive footfall with new customer experience initiatives.
The first gym will take up a 17,575 sq.ft site in Debenhams’ Sutton branch, and is slated to open on September 10.
Two further gyms within Debenhams’ centrally-located stores in Manchester and Bristol are also set to open in 2019.
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The in-store gyms are part of a new partnership between the department store retailer and fitness chain Sweat!.
Shopping incentives will be offered to gym members which build the more that they visit the gym, including automatic enrolment into the store’s Beauty Club and pre-loaded cards to redeem against purchases.
The Sweat! partnership is also part of the Debenhams’ strategy to deliver “social shopping”, which forms part of the retailer’s wider Debenhams Redesigned turnaround scheme.
“I am looking forward to showcasing our latest strategic partnership to customers at our Sutton store followed by taking the concept to Manchester and Bristol,” Debenhams chief executive Sergio Bucher said.
“Adding a highly innovative leisure facility to our stores is an integral part of the Debenhams Redesigned strategy to deliver ‘social shopping’ and I am keen to see customer reactions to the initiative.”
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