Gymshark invests £5m in its own fitness centre in Solihull

Sports apparel brand Gymshark has invested over £5m in the Gymshark Lifting Club (GSLC), a studio and fitness centre focussing on employee wellbeing, brand innovation, team training and engagement.

The 55,000 sq ft innovation hub is located within 100 yards of the Gymshark HQ in Solihull, and it is the brand’s third project completed with Oktra, the UK award-winning office design and build company.

In just 22 weeks, the former warehouse has been transformed into a vast studio space to support the brand’s active social media presence along with a state-of-the-art gym, designed to be the best in Europe.

Sean Espinasse, design director at Oktra North, said: “Having developed Gymshark HQ as a facility that enables their business to grow, we then moved on to GSLC, which enables their people to grow. It offers something different from a typical office environment – it’s a playground for mental and physical development.”

Gymshark has shot to success in under seven years, now with an annual turnover of almost £200m, using social media rather than third-party sellers to boost brand awareness.

The company now employs a growing team of 350, exporting to over 180 countries worldwide. It’s unique customer-focused clothing is predicted to dramatically increase its sales forecast for 2020.