HiiClub’s second studio location brings high-energy classes, Pilates and contrast therapy to the upscale retailer’s activewear floor
If retail wants people back in stores, could fitness be the draw? Flannels is testing the idea.
The luxury U.K. retailer is now home to a 5,000-square-foot HiiClub premium training and recovery destination within its Leeds department store.
Appropriately located on the store’s Active floor, a performance and style-driven level that includes labels like Vuori and Lululemon, the new HiiClub studio gives shoppers three zones to explore and work up a sweat.
There, consumers can find HiiTrain, a strength, conditioning and running space with four signature workouts (HiiHero, HiiJacked, HiiBryd and HiiRun) supported by 18 treadmills, 15 benches, seven rigs and more than 20 ergs. Pilates fans will find HiiBalance, a full Reformer Pilates studio with 15 beds, while HiiContrast adds a dedicated hot and cold therapy suite with two Brass Monkey ice baths and a six-person sauna.
“Introducing HiiClub to our Flannels’ Leeds flagship allows us to offer a wellness experience that sits naturally alongside our active and fashion brands,” Frasers Group head of retail Lauren Barrie said. “It’s a meaningful addition for the local community and reflects our ongoing investment in the North, where Flannels’ story started. HiiClub Leeds represents a new kind of destination for our customers, one that brings retail, performance and well-being together in a way that feels authentic and relevant.”
HiiClub co-founder Josh Rose noted that fusing fashion, lifestyle and fitness feels natural for HiiClub. The Leeds location is its second and its first within a Flannels store.
“I’m genuinely excited about what’s ahead,” he said. “There’s nothing we love more than bringing our community together through brand events and meaningful collaborations. By working with Flannels in this way, we can really amplify these moments and give our customers the best possible experience. Ultimately, we want people to get obsessed with HiiCLUB the way we are – not just for the workouts, but for the connections and positive lifestyle shifts that naturally come from being part of our community.”
Flannels’ move fits squarely into what’s happening across the broader fitness and retail space, two industries that are trying to cultivate community in ways that go beyond simple transactions.
It was a topic that both Gymshark and Nike executives touched on at the Connected Health and Fitness Summit, noting that consumers want real connections and authentic experiences, not just product drops.
Gymshark, in particular, has turned this into a full strategy. The activewear brand routinely hosts pop-ups and city takeovers, such as #LiftMiami, and some of its stores offer workout classes. Nike pushed into a similar lane this summer, launching a Training Lab with WIT in London that turned a 2,000-square-foot retail footprint into an activation space with workouts, athlete appearances and recovery programming tied to the Metcon 10 launch.
Lululemon has been exploring a similar path. Over the summer, the activewear brand opened a yoga and Pilates studio-integrated concept store in Singapore’s Takashimaya Shopping Centre, its first in Southeast Asia. The space was co-created with mindfulness studio Within.
Hermès has played in this space too. In 2022, the luxury brand brought its Hermès Fit pop-up to Los Angeles after debuting it in Brooklyn, creating a “fitness x fashion playground” with classes built around its accessories.
