Gymshark

A UK activewear brand that began in a Birmingham garage in 2012 and now sells gym and training clothing to customers in over 200 countries.

About Gymshark

Gymshark designs and sells activewear for people who train. Its range covers leggings, sports bras, t-shirts, shorts, hoodies, joggers and jackets for women and men, plus modest workout clothing and hijabs, bags, socks, lifting straps, bottles and headwear. Named collections on its site include Vital, Lift Seamless, Adapt, Soft Sculpt, Power and Conditioning Club. Almost all of it is sold direct to customers through its own website and app. The brand's tone is playful about effort: its own line is that "conditioning is everything we do today to prepare for tomorrow." It also works with named creators and athletes, with collaborations listed on its site such as Sam Sulek and Megan Thee Stallion's "Megan Does Gym" page.

Its story starts in 2012, when founder and chief executive Ben Francis began with, in the company's words, "a sewing machine, a screen-printer and ambitions we had no right to hold" in a garage in Birmingham. The brand's stated mission is: "We exist to unite the conditioning community." It says the community is united by the effort behind goals rather than the goals themselves, and that "sweat is our sport."

Gymshark lists four values: Hard Work (pushing constantly, without necessarily working all hours), One Team (team priorities are everyone's priorities), Community Service (listening to the community and putting it first) and Stay Humble (staying close to your roots and keeping a welcoming space for all good people). These are the company's own descriptions, so it is worth asking how they show up day to day.

In the UK, the company's office is in Solihull, just outside Birmingham, and the company is registered as Gymshark Limited. It also has an office in New York and says it has more than 900 employees across five regions, with online stores in 14 markets including the UK, US, Canada, Europe, the Middle East and Australia and New Zealand. Its leadership team covers brand, technology, commercial, people and finance, which shows the range of jobs inside a direct-to-consumer brand.

Community is a big part of how the brand works. Its site features athlete collaborations, the Gymshark 66 habit challenge, the Gymshark Central blog, a loyalty programme, personalised shopping and a Discord community. It also offers a student discount. We did not find a headcount for the UK alone or a full list of UK sites beyond Solihull, so check the company's own pages for the latest.

What they do

• {'desc': 'Leggings, tops, shorts, hoodies, jackets and accessories for training.', 'title': 'Activewear for women and men'}
• {'desc': 'Gymshark 66, Gymshark Central blog, athlete collaborations and a Discord community.', 'title': 'Community and challenges'}
• {'desc': 'A loyalty programme and a student discount.', 'title': 'Loyalty and student offers'}

Key facts

• Founded 2012 in a Birmingham garage by Ben Francis
• UK office in Solihull; company registered as Gymshark Limited
• 900+ employees across five regions (own claim)
• Online stores in 14 markets; customers in over 200 countries (own claim)

Website: www.gymshark.com