When Debenhams signed a deal to open female-friendly gyms in its department stores last summer, it was badged as a core part of its “social shopping” strategy.
By opening Sweat! gyms in its stores, Sergio Bucher, the retailer’s chief executive at the time, believed that he could encourage a more youthful clientele “to visit us more often and stay for longer when they do”.
It was not a match made in heaven, however. The collapse of Sweat last week means that both companies have gone bust and, although a slimmed-down Debenhams limps on after the keys were handed to its lenders via a pre-pack administration, Sweat’s six gyms have closed in the past few days and the business is being liquidated.
