Store gallery: Sweatshop stays ahead of the competition

Sweatshop is a niche retailer that serves those who like running, either as part of a group or individually. It has 39 shops in the UK and was started by Chris Brasher, the man who acted as the pacemaker for Roger Bannister breaking the four-minute barrier for a mile way back when.

Things have changed since then and the sheer amount of science that is available for those who might feel inclined to take up running and wish to have the right equipment for their size, gait or running preferences is probably baffling for the uninitiated.

Which is where the latest branch of Sweatshop might come in handy. Located on Trump Street, a small road that runs parallel to London’s Cheapside, this may be a shop that only has 1,400 sq ft of retail space but it has teamed up with a range of commercial partners. The effect makes the Sweatshop branch the sort of place that serious fitness types might favour over other sports shops, and there are quite a number in this part of the City.

Service and support

Managing director Nick Pearson, himself a former UK 800m runner, says that the aim is to provide service, support and product for every runner, from the individual who wants to take up the sport to the dedicated professional. First, however, there is the little matter of finding the shop.

Trump Street may be less than a minute’s walk from Cheapside, but it’s a place that nobody is going to find by chance.

This may be a mild disadvantage as far as passing trade is concerned. It means, however, that while Sweatshop may rely upon functioning as a destination, rents are substantially lower than on the main drag, making the matter of getting the whole enterprise to jog along less onerous.

And standing outside the shop, what is fairly obvious is that, while this may not be a purpose-built Sweatshop structure, the fascia has been effectively adapted to create the impression that it is, with a curved entrance and the legend ‘Sweatshop we know running’. There are also A-boards either side of the main door advertising ‘London’s Best Gym’.

The windows that run from the entrance feature outsize letters spelling the word ‘run’ and are backed by a graphic of multiple jogging Santas (when the store was visited). There is no room for doubt about the store’s purpose.

Packed with product

In the shop itself it looks, at first glance, like familiar roadrunner territory. There are a lot of branded running shoes, protein drinks and packs and, yes, there’s plenty of sporty looking clothing too, including a ‘bra bar’ display. Pearson says that all of the staff in this store are trained to advise on sports bras and all female staff will offer a fitting service for customers as well. Noting the possible long-term health implications for women not wearing a sports bra, he says creating the feature was an obvious part of the store mix.

Running has morphed over the years from a discipline that involved donning a pair of trainers and then hoping for the best as you headed off to pound the pavement to a rather more science-based sport. Now, before putting strain on the legs, the aspiring runner can expect to spend time wired-up on a variety of treadmills, where everything from heart-rate to recovery time will be subject to close scrutiny.

Well-executed interior

In this respect, the shopfit for this Sweatshop is bang in line with the current zeitgeist, with mid-shop and perimeter equipment being in a lab-like shiny white, and the running shoes appear to float on small translucent plinths. There is also, of course, an array of running machines on which to test-drive the merchandise.

All of which is fairly standard stuff, albeit well executed. It is the details at this end of the market that mark out one store as being different from another, and in this respect Sweatshop stakes its claim.

For evidence, look no further than the floor. The main walkway that runs from the front to the back of the shop is festooned with numbers from runners’ backs, creating a high-speed highway/walkway.

Alongside, there are a series of glass cases set into the floor around the shop. Within each green-light illuminated case is a pair of shoes that provide a commentary on the history of the sports shoe. This makes interesting viewing, with the GT Law Custom Spike, as commissioned by Brasher when he won the 1956 3,000m Olympic steeplechase, and the Adidas Primer SP from 2012 - each of these pairs of shoes weighs in at less than 100g - being among the exhibits.

This is a long, narrow shop and, given the constraints of the space, effective use has been made of what is available, making it simple to understand both the offer and the way in which it is displayed. In spite of its relatively modest size, there appears to be nothing missing from what you’d expect of an operator in the sector, such is the level of focus.

That said, there is the whole of the rest of the space to explore. Practically, this means that those venturing down into the basement are confronted by a huge gym where the usual well-muscled looking types will be welcoming, but do induce a mild sense of inadequacy - which is perhaps the point.

The first floor is about measuring performance and for those craving such things, you can run in a reduced oxygen environment (good for training if you want to run in Mexico City perhaps), exercise in a reduced gravity chamber, or just go through your paces as your running stance is videoed.

Rather more than a shop in which to buy a pair of running shoes and some brightly coloured clothing therefore, the Sweatshop complex, for that is what this is, is a place for both beginners and seasoned professionals.

It is also an interesting example of a retailer teaming up with like-minded companies where the sum is much greater than the individual parts. This branch may be off the well-patronised Cheapside beaten track, yet it seems probable that competitive well-heeled City types will discover it and beat a path to its door.