Breuninger and Engelhorn Tipped to Lead Gymshark Germany Retail Expansion
Retail heavyweights Breuninger and Engelhorn are being scouted by Gymshark as potential routes for expansion in Germany.
The apparel giant has been dedicating plenty of resources to in-store shopping experiences over the past year.
Brick-and-mortar spots in Dubai, London, Manchester, and Amsterdam now provide hubs for fans around the world to interact with the brand in real life.
Another flagship is under construction in NYC as Gymshark pushes forward with its ‘omnichannel’ strategy.
And it looks like founder and CEO, Ben Francis, has now turned his attention to Germany.
Gymshark Germany: Inside the Hunt for Retail Allies
Following the launch of Gymshark Amsterdam, the 33-year-old crossed the border to meet with prospective partners in Stuttgart and Mannheim.
“We’re looking to partner with people in Germany, basically,” he said in a recent vlog.
“So we’re seeing two (potential) partners: one’s Breuninger, which is this morning. Then, this afternoon, we’re going up to Mannheim to see Engelhorn.
“We’re going to see if it’s the sort of place where we could partner with them in the region, and they could stock Gymshark.”
Rooted in fashion and lifestyle for over 140 years, Breuninger is one of Europe’s leading multichannel department stores.
More than 1,550 renowned designer brands are pulled together under its roof, including Tommy Hilfiger, Stone Island, Adidas, and Balenciaga.
Engelhorn, meanwhile, is a historic, upscale department and sports retailer.
Spread across multiple locations and levels, it offers expansive spaces dedicated to performance apparel, equipment, and accessories — plus in-house fitness events like running meetups and cycling tours.
Both retailers would give Gymshark high footfall and a trusted route into the German market.
Gymshark Germany: A Trip Down Memory Lane
Germany played a leading role in Gymshark’s fairytale success story.
While the main catalyst for the brand’s rise was the debut of the Luxe Tracksuit at Birmingham’s BodyPower expo, Francis and co would regularly visit Germany in the early days to spread the vision at similar events.
“Growing up, we spent loads of time in Germany, mostly in Cologne, because we were obviously at the FIBO expo,” he continued.
“One of the first Gymshark athletes, Alon Gabbay, was German.
“So Germany has long had a really important part in the Gymshark story. And anyone that’s spent any time in Germany will know the fitness and the bodybuilding scene here is huge. It’s absolutely huge.
“It’s a wonderful country… and it’s long been a massive supporter of the Gymshark business and Gymshark brand.
“So being more relevant locally and, I guess, in the right places is really important to us — especially as we want to build our business into a globally iconic brand.
“You have to be really relevant in all of the key countries that you sell in. And obviously Germany is a huge country for us at Gymshark.”
Francis said Gymshark could hit the shelves in Germany “within a year or so.”
Whether that’s with Breuninger and Engelhorn, or another retailer entirely, remains to be seen. Either way, it’s something for German supporters to get excited about.
