Peloton, the global interactive fitness platform that revolutionised the fitness industry, is to open its latest showroom in Victoria Gate, part of its flagship destination Victoria Leeds.
The new location will be the company’s sixth showroom in the UK, and its first outside of London.
Expected to open in Leeds this autumn, the new 1,000 sq ft showroom will provide consumers with the chance to try the Peloton Bike in person. Peloton brings the energy and benefits of studio-style workouts to the convenience and comfort of home. With up to 48 classes produced daily, and a library of thousands of on-demand classes taught by a roster of elite instructors, Peloton delivers real-time motivation and curated playlists from the world's best artists. In the UK, the brand’s immersive content is accessible through the Peloton Bike and Peloton Digital, which provides a full slate of fitness offerings, anytime, anywhere, through iOS and Android as well as most tablets and computers.
On top of Peloton, Victoria Leeds recently welcomed the British heritage brand Fred Perry to the destination. The company opened its first store in Leeds in Victoria Quarter in July.
Iain Mitchell, UK Commercial Director at Hammerson, said: “Peloton is a great example of a brand that is really making the most of its online and physical presence to deliver for customers. It has shaken up the fitness industry in just a few years by combining high quality physical locations with incredible online content, and it is a real vote of confidence in Victoria Leeds that Peloton has chosen the destination for its first showroom outside of London.
“Cycling is an obsession in Yorkshire, and as one of the leading retail and leisure destinations in the North East, Victoria Leeds is no exception. We saw huge demand for our Rapha pop-up earlier in the year, and for our events around the Tour de Yorkshire, so I’m sure the new Peloton showroom will be hugely popular.”
RPA Perspective A host of often-US inspired fitness clubs and concepts are expanding in the UK, with many considering options to move into Europe, according to Josh Braid, partner, central London retail and leisure, Knight Frank. He points to the likes of US spin phenomenon SoulCycle, upscale club-style gym Equinox and a variety of sports specialist concepts which have used London as their European launchpad and are now looking to expand.
“The fitness market has evolved from the larger sports clubs to smaller units of 300-500 sq m, often in urban locations on the way to or from people’s places of work,” says Braid. “That gives them a much wider choice of sites and allows them to provide a club-like fitness offer.”
SoulCycle, which has around 60 US locations, assessed possible London sites for around two years before its first opening, during which time several rival concepts launched. Braid believes the brand will have crossed into Europe within another two years, targeting locations such as Paris, Milan and Berlin.
“SoulCycle has been very clever because it has established itself as a brand and has achieved celebrity endorsement, both of which are crucial in this market,” says Braid. “More US brands are likely to follow and we’ll see more niche areas such as rowing, martial arts, yoga, pilates and high-end personal training.”
He also points to concepts such as US circuit training format Orange Theory, which he believes is likely to target the CEE markets, and high impact concept F45 Training, which originated in Australia and operates on a franchise model and is actively looking at European expansion.
At the higher end is Equinox, a larger, upscale format that typically takes sites of around 3,500 sq m and is a hybrid between private members’ club and gym. The company launched a hotel concept in Hudson’s Yard, New York, and Braid believes it will look at cities such as Paris, Milan, Berlin, Munich and Hamburg for its move into Europe, with an opportunity-led strategy.
