There’s big and then there’s Sports Direct big. Owner Frasers Group has opened its 90,00 sq ft three-storey flagship store on Liverpool‘s Church Street for its key sports retail brand that comes with a dedicated Everlast Gym+.
The Liverpool store’s opening “forms a key milestone in the next phase of the brand’s vision”, namely “redefining the future of the British high street, with stores where people both shop and workout”, Frasers said.
And group CEO Michael Murray called it “arguably the most ambitious retail investment in Liverpool by any UK business”.
The parent company also noted that these newly elevated Sports Direct stores “are purpose-built to serve how today’s consumer shops, trains and lives – a destination where sport, performance, wellness and style are part of the same experience”.
To date, over 50% of Sports Direct’s stores have now been “elevated” as part of the wider Elevation Strategy, with the Liverpool store marking the next phase of the plan, with multipurpose stores that “offer everything from shopping to training, and immersive sports experiences under one roof”.
Each floor is zoned by sport and training type – from running, football and swimming to outdoor adventure and racket sports.
With fitness competition brand Hyrox “continuing to soar in popularity across the globe”, the store’s in-built Everlast Gym+, which occupies the full third floor, features the UK’s first Hyrox Performance Centre, “making the flagship one of the best Hyrox training locations in the world”.
The gym also features a Reformer Pilates Studio and a dedicated Recovery Zone. This offers access to an exclusive recovery suite featuring Brass Monkey ice baths, herbal and dry salt saunas and a modern, elevated space for post-training reset.
Other key store features include: Sports Direct’s Running Concept to help consumers find the right product for their running journey; Outdoor Concept, incorporating advanced technology and information sharing to educate consumers about products and outdoor activities; Women’s Training Concept, “a key innovation at this new flagship” with a curated retail space and brand-led experience; Under Armour Agility Test, an immersive, high-energy activation that brings the brand’s training ethos to life; Adidas Football Skill Zone; and Evans Cycles’ space, with a selection of bikes, parts, accessories, and clothing.
Murray added: “Liverpool is a case study of how our Elevation Strategy is winning. It’s where ambition meets execution: a destination that showcases our strategy’s momentum. With every new opening, we’re not just adding stores, we’re transforming the retail landscape, creating spaces that energise communities and redefine the high street experience.”
He also said over 220 new retail roles have been created through the flagship openings of Flannels, Sports Direct and Everlast Gyms+ in Liverpool city centre between 2022 and 2025, “which represents a 213% uplift in staffing”.
“No other retailer has matched this scale of investment or long-term commitment to the city – a strategy that’s not only creating jobs but actively contributing to the wider economic and cultural revival of Liverpool’s high street.”
