In Liverpool, the British high street just got a major upgrade. Sports Direct has opened its most ambitious flagship yet, a 90,000-square-foot space that merges retail, performance and wellness under one roof. It’s part of Frasers Group’s wider Elevation Strategy, but it’s more than a corporate milestone. It’s a statement about how we now experience movement, community, and brand.
Spanning three floors, the new Sports Direct and Everlast Gyms+ destination reimagines what a city-centre store can be. There’s a full-scale Everlast Gym+, complete with the UK’s first HYROX Performance Centre sitting just a few steps from premium brand zones featuring Nike, adidas, Under Armour, On, ASICS, and PUMA. It’s a place where a morning workout and a shopping trip belong in the same breath.
For Michael Murray, CEO of Frasers Group, Liverpool represents the evolution of his vision. “It’s where ambition meets execution,” he says. “We’re transforming the retail landscape, creating spaces that energise communities and redefine the high street experience,” he says. Transformation through experience runs through every detail of the store’s design, with each floor purpose-built around how people actually train and live, with zones dedicated to running, football, outdoor adventure and women’s training.
The women’s space, a first for the brand, feels especially significant. Built from consumer feedback, it’s a curated environment that is more community, less commodity. It’s also a clear signal that Sports Direct is shifting from simply selling product to listening, responding, and building for longevity.
Upstairs, Everlast Gyms+ takes that puts that philosophy into motion. Occupying the entire third floor, it brings together a HYROX Performance Centre )one of only four in the world) a reformer pilates studio with sixteen Allegro 2 beds, and a dedicated Recovery Zone featuring Brass Monkey ice baths and herbal saunas. The concept is holistic, but not in the ethereal sense of the word. But a physical, functional, and tangible way. This is wellness with weight.
The wider context carries real load, too. Since 2022, Frasers Group has poured over £50 million into Liverpool’s retail and fitness landscape, transforming dormant sites into destinations. More than 220 new roles have been created through the openings of FLANNELS, Sports Direct and Everlast Gyms+. That’s not just retail expansion. It’s revival.
Step back and it’s clear this isn’t just selling shoes or gym memberships. It’s about redefining what physical retail means in an era when so much of life happens online. Liverpool’s new flagship doesn’t try to compete with convenience, but to win with experience. It asks people to show up, to train, to recover, and to engage.
This is the new high street.
