Shop Front: Not Just Gym

Published on: 31 Oct, 2015
Updated on: 3 Nov, 2015

Not Just Gym at 64 High Street on the junction with The Shambles

“Who wants to rock up at the gym or to a class to find three others wearing the same outfit?” asks Mark Elliott the founder/owner of one of the most recent arrivals on Guildford’s High Street – Not Just Gym, which opened in July.

If you are one of those that have been suffering sleepless nights about the exclusivity of your workout gear you might be pleased to know that Not Just Gym aim to, “bring in small quantities of new styles and colours every couple of weeks to maintain an exciting and exclusive offering from quality brands not found elsewhere on the High Street.”

Their Guildford branch manager adds: “We aim to inspire women by kitting them out in exciting active wear from great brands, including; Lorna Jane from Australia, Onzi from California, a fantastic range of leggings enabling you to show your true personality.

A shopper peruses the colourful range of activewear in the Guildford shop

“We are an independent retailer, we aim to offer the highest level of service and customer satisfaction.”

She describes her locally recruited team as, “bubbly, knowledgeable, bright and friendly with a healthy mindset and an keen interest in fitness. Not just Gym’s only other branch is in Weybridge.

Female “activewear” continues to be a healthily growing sector in the United States, workout apparel has been trending up in the past three years, and sales jumped seven per cent between July 2013 and June 2014 accounting for $33.7 billion in sales, 16 per cent of the apparel market.

Australia has been leagues ahead for some time when it comes to good fashion focused sports apparel for women while the European women’s activewear market however has only just exploded.

According to Euromonitor International, the UK will see a constant value compound annual growth rate of 4%, especially now that high street giants such as H&M, YOOX.com and Topshop, among many other online retailers, are bringing out their own lines of activewear at an affordable prices.

Increased participation in sports and activities has directly affected the sportswear market. Keeping fit is now fashionable for younger women something that is believed to have been influenced by the London 2012 Olympics.

The UK sportswear market grew in value by 5.4% in 2012, with sports clothing accounting for approx 71% of the total market, and footwear the remainder. The sector is expected to continue to grow over the next five years and the total market is forecast to grow continually to an estimated value of £5.34 billion in 2016.

Not Just Gym are located at 64 High Street previously occupied by natural health product shop Revital.

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