£556.2 million in revenue. Zero retail partnerships. Zero VC funding for the first eight years.
Gymshark has rewritten the rules of building a global fitness brand. The difference isn't their products or even their famous partnerships. It's their omnichannel strategy that treats mobile apps as the center for connecting every customer touchpoint.
From exclusive app-only drops to community challenges that generate millions in organic reach, they've built a system where each channel amplifies the others.
Here's what you'll learn: the mobile-first framework that drives their highest-value customers, the community-building tactics that generate organic acquisition, and the omnichannel playbook that connects every customer touchpoint.
What makes Gymshark's origin story special?
Ben Francis and Lewis Morgan started Gymshark in 2012 from Francis's parents' garage while he was a 19-year-old university student. The initial focus was selling fitness supplements through dropshipping, but low profit margins forced a pivot to apparel.
The breakthrough came from personal frustration. Francis couldn't find gym clothes that fit properly or looked good, so he bought a sewing machine and screen printer with £1,000 in savings. His grandmother, a curtain maker, taught him to sew.
The turning point arrived at BodyPower 2013, Europe's largest bodybuilding expo. Francis emptied the company's bank account to rent booth space, and their Luxe Tracksuit went viral on social media during the event. Within 30 minutes of launching online, they generated £30,000 in sales.
This early success established three core principles:
- Authentic community connection over mass marketing
- Product development driven by actual user needs
- Direct-to-consumer focus that maintains customer relationships
By 2020, Gymshark achieved unicorn status with a valuation exceeding $1 billion. Today, Francis owns over 70% of the company and ranks as the UK's youngest billionaire.
How big is Gymshark's business in 2025?
Gymshark posted their biggest revenue number ever in 2023 with £556.2 million in sales, representing 15% year-over-year growth despite challenging economic conditions affecting consumer spending.
The geographic breakdown shows strong international expansion:
- United States: £250.4 million (9.7% growth) - their largest single market
- United Kingdom: £111.7 million (25.6% growth) - showing strong home market performance
- Europe: £129.4 million (16.1% growth) - expanding across continental markets
- Rest of World: £64.5 million (16% growth) - including emerging markets like Dubai
Direct-to-consumer dominance sets them apart. While most fitness brands rely heavily on wholesale partnerships, Gymshark maintains 96% of sales through owned channels. This includes 14 localized online stores, mobile apps, and limited physical retail locations.
The business model prioritizes customer lifetime value over short-term acquisition. Average order values and repeat purchase rates exceed industry benchmarks because they control the entire customer experience.
How does Gymshark's Omnichannel Strategy actually work?
Gymshark operates on the principle that every customer touchpoint should strengthen the overall relationship. Rather than treating channels independently, they've built an ecosystem where mobile apps serve as the central hub connecting website, social media, email, and physical retail.
What role do mobile apps play in their strategy?
Gymshark operates two primary mobile applications that serve different but complementary purposes. The Shopping App handles e-commerce with exclusive features, while the Training App provides free fitness content and community features.
The Shopping App creates premium e-commerce experiences with features not available on the website. Users get early access to new collections, exclusive offers, and personalized product recommendations based on purchase history and training app activity.
Shopping App exclusive features include:
- App-only product launches that reward the most engaged customers
- Limited edition drops with push notification alerts
- Personalized recommendations powered by AI
- Loyalty program that rewares most loyal customers
- Wishlist functionality with restock notifications
- Seamless checkout with saved payment methods and addresses
Want to launch your own mobile app? Schedule a free call with Appbrew.
The Training App includes over 1,000 free workouts led by Gymshark athletes and certified personal trainers. Users can customize workout plans based on available equipment, fitness level, and time constraints. The app tracks progress and integrates with Apple Health for comprehensive fitness monitoring.
Key Training App features that drive engagement:
- Athlete-created workout programs from sponsored fitness influencers
- Customizable training plans that adapt to user preferences and goals
- Progress tracking with detailed statistics and achievement badges
- Community challenges including the popular Gymshark 66 initiative
- Educational content covering nutrition, recovery, and training techniques
How do they connect digital and physical experiences?
Physical retail supports rather than competes with digital channels. The flagship Regent Street store opened in October 2022 and includes experiential elements that strengthen community connections.
The London flagship features multiple experience zones:
- The Sweat Room offers group fitness classes including HIIT, yoga, and strength training
- The Hub hosts athlete meet-and-greets, product launches, and community events
- Joe & The Juice café creates a social hangout space for the fitness community
- Product testing areas where customers can feel fabric quality and fit before purchasing
Physical and digital integration includes:
- Real-time inventory checking through mobile apps before visiting stores
- Click-and-collect services for online orders with in-store pickup
- QR codes linking physical products to digital workout content and styling tips
- Staff tablet access for seamless omnichannel customer service
- Exclusive in-store events promoted through app notifications and email
The Everywear premium line launched exclusively through Selfridges represents their strategic entry into luxury retail. This partnership allows them to test premium positioning while maintaining control over brand presentation in high-end environments.
What makes the Gymshark customer loyalty program different?
Gymshark's loyalty approach rewards engagement beyond purchases through their tiered XP system. Points are earned through website and app purchases (8XP per $1 spent), completing workouts in their Training app, and engaging with marketing communications. The program creates multiple touchpoints that strengthen customer relationships through fitness activities rather than just transactions.
How does their multi-dimensional rewards system work? (table)
The loyalty program operates on a tier-based structure with four levels, each unlocking progressively better benefits:
Point earning opportunities include purchasing products online and through the app, downloading and completing workouts in the Training app, and opting into marketing communications for exclusive content about events and product drops. The tiered structure encourages continued engagement by offering increasingly valuable rewards as customers progress through fitness and shopping milestones.
Want personalized guidance on building a loyalty program inside your fitness brand app? Talk to Appbrew App Growth Expert.
What channels does Gymshark use for customer acquisition?
Gymshark's acquisition strategy centers on authentic community building rather than traditional advertising. They've built a system where customers become their biggest advocates.
How does Gymshark structure their influencer marketing?
Influencer partnerships form the backbone of Gymshark's marketing strategy. Unlike brands that rely on celebrity endorsements or one-off campaigns, Gymshark builds long-term relationships with athletes who genuinely represent their values.
Their approach includes several key elements:
- Multi-year athlete contracts that provide stability and authentic partnership development
- Creator whitelisting that amplifies influencer content through Gymshark's paid advertising accounts
- Performance-based commissions through affiliate programs with trackable discount codes
- Behind-the-scenes content that humanizes both the brand and their athlete partners
The strategy focuses on micro and macro influencers across different fitness goals. From powerlifters to yoga instructors, they partner with athletes who genuinely use their products and connect with specific audience segments.
This authentic approach generates higher engagement rates compared to traditional celebrity endorsements. Followers trust recommendations from athletes they admire and follow for fitness education, not just product promotion.
What makes Gymshark community challenges so effective?
The Gymshark 66 Challenge represents their most successful community marketing initiative. Based on research showing it takes 66 days to form lasting habits, participants choose three daily habits and track progress through the Training App.
The challenge drives multiple business objectives simultaneously:
- App adoption spikes as participants download the Training App for tracking
- Higher lifetime value from users who engage with the challenge
- Organic social content from thousands of participants sharing progress
- Email list growth from challenge registration and updates
- Community bonds that strengthen long-term brand loyalty
Participants become brand advocates by sharing transformation stories and progress updates across social platforms. This creates authentic user-generated content that showcases real results rather than staged marketing photos.
The annual timing creates anticipation and repeat participation. Many customers time their fitness goals around the challenge, creating predictable engagement and sales cycles.
How does Gymshark approach social media marketing?
Gymshark's social media strategy prioritizes native content over polished advertising. Their TikTok approach focuses on formats that encourage user participation rather than branded promotional videos.
Key social media marketing strategies include:
- Fitness challenge videos that viewers can easily recreate and share
- Transformation documentaries featuring real customer journeys
- Behind-the-scenes footage from athlete training sessions and company culture
- Product versatility content showing how pieces work beyond gym settings
- User-generated content amplification across all major platforms
The content performs well because it provides genuine value. Viewers learn new exercises, get motivation for their fitness goals, and see authentic product demonstrations in real workout settings.
Platform-specific strategies adapt to each audience. Instagram focuses on aesthetic lifestyle content, TikTok emphasizes quick workout tips and challenges, and YouTube provides longer-form educational content with athlete collaborations.
What are 7 key strategies you can apply from Gymshark's playbook?
1. Make your mobile app a VIP experience
Don’t just replicate your website, give customers a reason to download and stay. Gymshark drives app adoption by offering exclusive perks like app-only discounts, early access to product drops, and personalized push notifications. Your app should feel like a backstage pass to your brand and not just another storefront.
2. Create community challenges that require ongoing engagement
Design challenges that combine your brand values with meaningful customer goals. Make participation easy but rewarding, with clear progress tracking and social sharing elements. Use challenges to drive app adoption and create user-generated content.
3. Develop long-term influencer partnerships instead of one-off campaigns
Move beyond sponsored posts to build ongoing relationships with creators who genuinely use your products. Focus on authentic partnerships that provide value to both your brand and their audiences.
4. Connect all customer data sources for unified personalization
Unify data from your website, app, email, social media, and other touchpoints to create comprehensive customer profiles. Use this to deliver personalized content, product suggestions, and exclusive offers wherever your customers are.
5. Implement behavioral segmentation beyond demographics
Segment customers based on actions, engagement patterns, and location. Use behavioral data to create more targeted marketing campaigns.
6. Design exclusive access and loyalty programs that reward your best customers
Create tiered access that makes your most valuable customers feel special. Offer early product launches, exclusive content, special events, loyalty points, or behind-the-scenes access that money can't buy.
7. Focus on authentic content creation over polished marketing
Prioritize genuine, helpful content over polished promotional material. Encourage user-generated content, showcase real customer stories, and create content that provides value even without a purchase. Let your community become your marketing team.
What's the future of Omnichannel Marketing?
Gymshark's success proves that authentic community building combined with seamless omnichannel experiences drives sustainable growth. Their £556 million revenue with 96% direct-to-consumer sales demonstrates the power of owning customer relationships rather than relying on third-party platforms.
The key lesson for modern brands is that mobile apps aren't just another sales channel. They're your most valuable owned media property and primary defense against rising advertising costs and platform dependencies.
If you want to implement these strategies, start by auditing your current customer journey across all touchpoints. Identify the biggest gaps between channels and prioritize mobile app development if you don't already have one. The brands that master omnichannel integration now will dominate their categories for years to come.
Schedule a free consultation with an Appbrew App Growth Expert to explore how a mobile app can become the highest-performing sales channel for your DTC brand.
Frequently asked questions
Who is Gymshark's biggest competitor?
Lululemon represents Gymshark's primary competitor in the premium fitness apparel space. Both brands focus on direct-to-consumer sales and community building, though Lululemon targets yoga while Gymshark focuses on weightlifting culture. Other significant competitors include Alo Yoga (valued at $10 billion), Alphalete Athletics, and newer entrants like Aybl.
What celebrities wear Gymshark?
Gymshark partners with fitness athletes rather than traditional celebrities. Their roster includes Chris Bumstead (Mr. Olympia champion), Whitney Simmons (fitness influencer), David Laid (Creative Director), and professional athletes like Francis Ngannou (UFC) and Katie Taylor (boxing). This athlete-focused approach aligns with their authentic fitness community positioning.
What is Gymshark's target market?
Gymshark targets fitness enthusiasts aged 16-35 who prioritize gym culture and community connection. Their primary market consists of serious lifters and bodybuilders who value performance and aesthetics in workout apparel. Geographically, their largest markets are the United States (£250.4 million), United Kingdom (£111.7 million), and Europe (£129.4 million).
