Get To Know... Start Fitness
We find out what lies behind the longevity of this North East success story
Established in 1991, Start Fitness is a local success story which - in a little over thirty years - has become one of the biggest specialist fitness retailers in the country.
It was founded by two runners and the majority of the staff are fitness enthusiasts - runners, cyclists, swimmers and the rest. We spoke to Ali Bailey, head of the finance team, about Start Fitness' journey so far and what makes them so popular.
Ali has been with Start Fitness for three years and true to form is a keen runner and cyclist. He explains that the owners came across a source of specialist running shoes from within their own athletics club and that’s how Start Fitness was born, although they’ve expanded into many more sports since - cycling, swimming, hiking and all sorts of outdoor activities.
There used to be stores around the city – on Pilgrim, Northumberland, Grainger and Market Streets but these were eventually combined in the massive Market Street store, which boasts some 30,000 square feet of retail space. There’s also a separate but Start Fitness-branded offshoot store in Durham.
There’s obviously been a big uptick in all sorts of fitness activities and we asked Ali has a good idea as to how this came about.
"The pandemic was a big factor," he explains. “It gave people no option but to think about their health and well-being – COVID definitely kickstarted many people’s fitness journeys. Also, the park run scene, which is a little older, is a fantastic initiative which continues to grow. It’s friendly, has a low barrier to entry and is a good way to get people started. You see families up and down the country getting involved.”
Start Fitness did remarkably well during the pandemic due to its strong online offer and Ali attributes this to the spare disposable income many people had.
"People were buying bikes with disposable income, perhaps money saved that they couldn’t go on holiday with, and people were also wanting a new pair of trainers or some kit to do their 30 minutes of activity," he says. "They couldn’t go out to a restaurant or whatever so their disposable income became focused around fitness and gadgets and apparel.”
With Start Fitness’ continuing growth – the store has just expanded further in time for the 2023 Great North Run – they’re obviously doing something right and Ali puts most of this down to the staff and the stock.
“We have the ability to get runners or other fitness enthusiasts of all abilities the best product for an affordable price," Ali explains. "We stock everything for specialists right down to newbies, we have the best range of products across the best range of brands and at the most affordable price you’ll be able to get, on the high street or online.”
Start Fitness operate a price match scheme to ensure they’re never undersold, which no doubt keeps customers coming back again and again.
“The object is to offer the best value possible to help someone perform their sport activity. We are a specialist store so what gives us a competitive advantage is that the Start Fitness staff, whether they’re admin or web or in the warehouse or front of house, are fitness enthusiasts and some have a lot of experience," Ali says. "They’ll be able to answer a question in store straight away - other stores might be affordable but they won’t have the full range and they won’t have staff that have been in athletics for 30 years.”
So if you need anything from a new pair of running shoes, a magnificent new road bike or a sports watch – and you’d benefit from some properly informed advice - the flagship Start Fitness store is an obvious destination and a definite North East success story.
Start Fitness is located at 33 Market Street in Newcastle and is open seven days a week, including bank holidays.
