Gyms have really whipped themselves into shape when it comes to perception in recent years of what a fitness center can be. They’re the new darling of anchor tenants at some malls, a way of life in many parts of the world and they’re increasingly becoming retailers as business models mature and diversify over time. Retail outposts found within gym chains and boutique fitness centers are no longer last-resort pit stops to nab a forgotten bottle of water or sweat rag. Gyms are pushing forth with far more diverse businesses, bolstered by consumers’ lack of time and society’s acceptance of leggings as perfectly valid for public consumption. “[With] the shift in terms of culturally how people spend their money today, health and wellness has become the new status symbol,” said Equinox vice president of retail Annie Walters. “It’s not so much about what Gucci or Chanel bag you’re carrying.” Instead, the executive said, by way of example, it’s now about what up-and-coming fitness brand one is wearing, and Walters would know as she sits atop an interesting perch, having joined the luxury fitness chain about six months ago from Saks Fifth Avenue. Before her decade there, she also clocked time at Bergdorf Goodman
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