The rise of 'Social-Cising': John Lewis reveals half the nation are opting to exercise with friends over eating & drinking out

John Lewis

03 Aug 2026

New research reveals a massive cultural shift as 42% of UK adults are combining exercise with social plans more frequently than ever before*
As the popularity of 'social-cising' grows, John Lewis responds with a multi-million-pound investment across four major UK stores, combining leading global apparel and footwear with the newest wellbeing technology
Monthly 'Jog Lewis' run clubs will be hosted for customers at each of the four stores

A new era of fitness has arrived, as nearly half of UK adults (42%) admit to combining exercise with social plans more frequently than ever before* - a phenomenon called 'social-cising'.

This trend has gripped the UK, with new research from John Lewis highlighting that 57% of the nation would be likely to choose an exercise activity, such as a run, padel, a cycle or a fitness class, combined with socialising over traditional social activities such as drinks or eating out. Saturday is the most popular day for 'social-cising', offering a healthy, time-efficient way to stay connected.

Nearly six in 10 adults (57%) now combine their exercise with social activities at least once a month, but for one in ten (13%) it's multiple times a week. This is especially true in London, where 50% claim to be 'social-cising' at least once a week.

For two fifths (39%) of the nation, connecting with friends is one of their main motivations to participate in group sports and fitness. Amongst Gen Z this rises to 59%, highlighting how sports clubs, group runs, and fitness classes are becoming a core part of their social life. Half (53%) of this demographic enjoy sharing their exercise activity on social media for their friends and followers to see, with Instagram (67%) being the most popular platform to do so.

This research comes as the retailer announces a multi-million-pound investment in its Sports department, transforming four stores into curated sport and wellness destinations; Oxford Street, Liverpool, Cheadle and Glasgow.

It's clear that wellness is no longer just about the workout, people have become hyper-focused on how they prepare and recover. Over half of UK adults who exercise (57%) now track their biometric data, and John Lewis has seen a +27%** increase in sales vs last year on fitness trackers as popularity continues to grow.

Fifty per cent of those who exercise also say active recovery is key to their overall fitness and lifestyle management. Searches for 'Therabody massage guns' are up 260%** on the John Lewis website, while searches for 'red light therapy' have risen 377%**.

In response, John Lewis has created a central wellness tech hub bringing together Whoop, Oura and Garmin and Apple Watch, alongside elite recovery tools from Therabody and Lumi Therapy cold plunges to make it easier for customers to find what they need. By showcasing this wellness technology directly alongside apparel and footwear for the first time, including new brand Nike, and other customer favourites such as Adidas, Puma, and Under Armour, John Lewis offers a unique one-stop-shop for training, performance and recovery.

Enni Charlton, Sports Buying Manager, says: "We're really excited that our new in-store format breaks the traditional retail set up; integrating wearables, recovery tools, and fitness equipment directly alongside apparel and footwear. By zoning the floor by activity rather than product category, we're able to offer our customers a brand new discovery space that makes it easier to find what they need."

One sport that will have a big focus in store is running. It's a discipline that's grown massively post-pandemic, with record race demand, rising popularity of 'run-fluencers' and growing participation in run clubs across the country. Tapping into this demand, John Lewis will be launching its very own monthly 'Jog Lewis' run clubs at each of the four stores. The first run club will be hosted by ASICS, where customers will be able to join John Lewis and ASICS for a social-paced group run, test the latest shoes, and enjoy expert advice. Tickets available online.

The rollout of the reimagined store floors begins at John Lewis Oxford Street on 30 July, followed by Liverpool on 19 August, Cheadle on 26 August, and Glasgow in September.

All brands and products can also be found online and via the app.

Notes to Editors

For more information please contact: [email protected] or [email protected].

*Research by One Poll on a sample of 2,000 nationally representative UK adults from 23rd to 27th July 2026

** Internal data provided by John Lewis

Department opening dates:

Oxford Street, 4,800sqft, reimagining of space - 30 July
Liverpool, 4,500sqft, expansion and reimagining of space - 19 August
Cheadle, 4,900sqft, expansion and reimagining of space - 26 August
Glasgow, 4,800sqft, totally new - late September

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Discover the sports offering online.

About John Lewis

John Lewis serves customers with curated fashion, beauty, home and technology, combining quality products with market-leading service they can trust.

With 36 shops and a strong omnichannel presence, it creates inspiring retail destinations, bringing together shopping, hospitality and services in one place. Popular partnerships include eateries like Benugo, Ori Cafe and Jamie Oliver’s Cookery School and Cafe, as well the likes of Waterstones and David Clulow Opticians.

Its Never Knowingly Undersold brand promise ensures customers receive both quality and value they can rely on, and the business has been granted the Royal Warrant of Appointment as supplier of Household Goods and Furnishings to His Majesty King Charles III.