Top 7 Fitness Brands on Shopify

Athleisure’s Growing Popularity

The world of fitness ecommerce is booming, surpassing all expectations in its growth. In fact, the global e-commerce revenue of the sports and outdoor industry is forecast to increase gradually until 2027, peaking at roughly 119.10 billion U.S. dollars.

From established players to emerging brands, the growth of sports and fitness eCommerce brands is primarily fueled by customers’ post-covid shopping behavior shifts and the soaring demand for fitness equipment, apparel, supplements, and wholesome food products.

Sensically, with great demand comes great competition. Fitness ecommerce websites are ubiquitous, as are fitness-focused Instagram accounts and influencers. In this crowded landscape, businesses must carve out their unique niche, foster a thriving community, and meet the evolving demands and expectations of consumers for exceptional ecommerce experiences.

To sustain growth, merchants need to prioritize website agility and scalability. This entails rethinking their ecommerce strategy and carefully assessing the capabilities of their chosen ecommerce platform, incorporating elements such as virtual experiences, loyalty programs, social selling, and seamless user experiences (UX/UI).

Feeling inspired already? Read on. 

The Best Fitness Shopify Stores in 2023

With unlimited bandwidth, 99.98% uptime, PCI compliance, internationalization capabilities, and an intuitive backend system that allows merchants to focus on their brand instead of the tech, Shopify quickly become the world's most scalable eCommerce platform to grow online businesses.

Curious to learn about the success stories of popular sports and fitness brands on Shopify? Check out our updated list:

Gymshark

As a brand that caters to a community of fitness and conditioning enthusiasts, Gymshark is a prime example of forward-thinking and innovation. Starting with just a sewing machine and a screen printer, they set out to empower individuals to unleash their full potential. Today, Gymshark has evolved into a global powerhouse, offering premium workout apparel and cultivating an ecosystem of inspiration. With an impressive social media following of over 18 million and customers in more than 230 countries, Gymshark has truly excelled in building a strong and engaged community.

Recognizing the need for a platform that could keep up with its exponential growth, Gymshark strategically chose to re-platform from Magento to Shopify Plus in the pursuit of seamless scalability and international expansion. This transition not only ensured a robust and scalable online presence but also empowered Gymshark to take its customer experiences to new heights. By utilizing Shopify's POS system, Gymshark orchestrated world tours and special events where customers could engage with their favorite fitness idols and make purchases in person, bridging the gap between online and offline interactions.

What We Like: 

• Clear communication on the homepage hero banner regarding important information such as sales and product drops, accompanied by a "Become a VIP" pop-up that enables customers to sign up for alerts about upcoming sales, exclusive deals, and the latest product drops.

• Frequent collaborations with like-minded creators are seamlessly integrated into the customer journey, with prominent mentions and effortless navigation to dedicated landing pages.

• The GymShark Training App is highlighted thoroughly as a crucial component of the omnichannel experience. 

• The "Quick Add" feature on the Product Detail Page enhances convenience and efficiency for customers.

• A dedicated “Sustainability” section that showcases relevant partnerships to reduce carbon footprint, highlights the positive impact made and emphasizes responsible material sourcing practices. 

Fabletics

Since its inception in 2013, Fabletics has been renowned for its affordably priced, fashion-forward, and performance-driven designs. Since then, the brand has revolutionized the athleisure industry by leveraging customer data to its fullest potential through the introduction of a VIP subscription membership.

By subscribing to the VIP program, customers gain access to a wide array of benefits, including up to a 50% discount on everything, access to the Fabletics FIT app, and free shipping. What sets this Shopify brand apart is its approach to memberships, as they give customers full ownership of it, allowing for free cancellation and unlimited billing skips.

What We Like: 

• "Shop the Look" Social block, which serves as a form of social proof and helps build a community.

• Educational Content explaining how the VIP membership works, along with FAQs.

• Featured Shops in the menu, making it easier to navigate to new collections.

• Leggings Finder Quiz that further aids customers’ purchase decisions in a gamified manner.

Vitality

Built on a solid foundation of an inclusivity-driven brand mission, body-positive activewear brand, Vitality, leverages brand community as a core driver for its continued growth. This is remarkably evident from Vitality's social media following that grew considerably over the years, all inspired by the brand mission: “To design inspired athleisure for everybody in their pursuit of purposeful existence”. 

What We Like: 

• The "quick add to cart" button allows customers to shop directly from the Product Listing Page (PLP), streamlining the purchasing process.

• Lookbooks that can be easily accessed from the main navigation, providing inspiration and showcasing products in a visually appealing manner.

• A tier-based loyalty program with an informative landing page that explains how it works, how to redeem rewards, the different tiers and associated benefits, as well as frequently asked questions (FAQs), which helps keep loyal customers engaged.

• The Product Detail Page (PDP) featuring customer reviews, personalized product recommendations, and additional information, enhancing the shopping experience and aiding in the decision-making process.

• A dedicated resale marketplace, Vitality Revitalized, reiterates the brand’s commitment to sustainability. 

Algo Yoga

One Shopify Fitness brand that does particularly well in positioning itself against the competition is Alo Yoga. Over the years, Alo Yoga has not only mastered the concept of "Studio-to-street" clothing but has also succeeded in building a strong community that connects with the brand on a personal, mission-driven level.

Today, when people encounter the brand Alo Yoga, they perceive it as stylish, sustainable, and comfortable. Alo Yoga has effectively leveraged social media and embraced the opportunities offered by digital advancements to enhance its brand presence and connect with its audience.

What We Like: 

• The Shopify storefront boasts a clean and intuitive design that allows for effortless navigation, despite its vast product selection.

• PDPs feature product videos, further assisting customers in making an informed purchase decision.

• Below the fold, customers can find the interactive "Shop The Look" feature, enabling them to effortlessly explore and purchase complete sets of products worn by the model - or, in some instances, a celebrity figure.

• As part of a bigger movement, Alo introduced "Alo Moves" - an online subscription that offers unlimited yoga, fitness, and meditation classes for $20/month or $199/year, along with a free 14-day trial.

• Alo Access, a rewards program strategically designed to boost customer engagement and lifetime value while portraying a sense of exclusivity.

Altitude Sports

Altitude Sports blazed the trail as a high-quality online outdoor retailer in Canada since its launch in 1999. With a core objective of advocating for the outdoors, the company embarked on a journey of offering top-notch outdoor clothing and supplies for both purchase and rental. As time went on, Altitude Sports established partnerships with numerous renowned brands, such as North Face, Patagonia, and GoPro, expanding their product offerings to encompass a wide range of outdoor gear and equipment.

What We Like: 

• In the gear section, customers can conveniently shop by activity, such as skiing, running, or camping, which allows the products to be grouped together for seamless browsing and expanded discovery. 

• The main menu features an “Advice” section that includes buying and care guides for different product types as well as links to product reviews.

• The Alti Action 2022 campaign gives customers the opportunity to join the Altitude Sports cause. Customers can make a positive impact through donations and, in return, receive store credits as a token of appreciation.

• Personalized product recommendations on PDP. 

Alphalete

Christian Guzman founded Alphalete with the mission to inspire individuals to "learn more, dream more, and be more." Starting with screen-printing shirts, he has since transformed the brand into a premium line of custom-made apparel. Alphalete offers a range of simple and comfortable workout clothing and accessories designed for both men and women.

What We Like

• Their popup asks only for a phone number, proving they utilize SMS marketing, which creates the opportunity to connect with potential customers instantly via texts

• When scrolling through the site, you can tell the design is similar to an app – smooth animations, curved corners, and vertically oriented content

• With 23 colors offered for each workout set, customers can find the exact shade they want to be sporting for their next workout

• The brand took to the road with a group of Alphaletes (brand ambassadors/content creators) to do meet and greets with fans, a creative and fun way to grow the business 

Fit For Life

Fitness Empire, Fit For Life, made the strategic decision to transition from Demandware to Shopify after realizing they were overpaying for an e-commerce platform that didn't align with their requirements.

With notable brands like New Balance, FILA, and Reebok in their portfolio, Fit For Life needed a platform that could efficiently handle multiple projects across various sites while adhering to tight timelines. Unfortunately, Demandware proved to be a costly investment, draining hundreds of thousands of dollars annually, and impeding project progress with lengthy timelines of up to four months for launching new landing pages.

Since migrating to Shopify, Fit For Life has experienced remarkable improvements. As per a case study released by Shopify,  the time required to launch pages has been significantly reduced from months to days, resulting in a substantial 70% increase in online conversion rates. Additionally, Fit For Life now saves over $250,000 per year as a result of the switch to Shopify.

Conclusion

So, what do these sportswear and fitness brands have in common?

First and foremost, they understand the importance of meeting their consumers' desires and showcasing their products effectively on their websites. Sportswear is no longer solely about functionality; it also needs to be visually appealing. These brands have implemented innovative ways for customers to shop their looks, incorporating interactive lifestyle images and Instagram integrations that inspire and engage shoppers.

Furthermore, these brands have taken into consideration their customers' lifestyles. They recognize that mindset plays a significant role in the world of sport and fitness. To keep their audience motivated, they offer lifestyle content such as shopping guides and yoga videos. Some even provide subscription options to unlock exclusive training programs and workout classes.

An additional advantage of this approach is that it fosters a sense of community among their customer base. By offering a platform where customers can support and encourage each other, these brands create a space for discussion and cultivate a loyal following.

Moreover, these brands leverage clever technological features. They employ search functions and personalization apps to enhance cross-selling and upselling. Additionally, they utilize dynamic checkouts to optimize online conversions. By embracing cutting-edge technology, these websites elevate the customer experience and drive their business growth.

As a Shopify Plus Agency, Avex designs, builds & optimizes e-commerce channels for the world’s largest brands. Our Shopify Services include strategy, UX design, platform migrations & headless commerce development.

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