How Gymshark founder redefined entrepreneurship and built a community-first fitness brand
Gymshark’s journey from a modest garage to a global fitness powerhouse is a testament in entrepreneurial spirit.
At the centre is Ben Francis, founder and CEO, who dreamt up the idea of Gymshark after spotting a missed opportunity for quality gym apparel. What started as a dropshipping business model quickly evolved into a brand that placed community over transactions.
Here, Ben shares his fitness routine and talks us through his journey that led him to redefining modern-day entrepreneurship with a new blueprint rooted in resilience, a few smart pivots, and a deep understanding of his audience – qualities that have propelled Gymshark into a billion-pound success with a loyal following.
What do the first 30 minutes of your day look like, your morning routine?
It’s a pretty simple one really. Wake up, get breakfast and ready for work!
You founded the company at age 19 and have built an extremely successful global fitness empire. What advice would you give to your younger self?
Don’t be afraid to fail. Gymshark was actually my seventh business venture. When the other six failed, I was hard on myself. But I learned from each and every one of them, which helped inform and structure Gymshark.
What was the catalyst to launch GYMSHARK? Did you always want to work for yourself?
When I first went to the gym when I was 16, I instantly fell in love with it. I knew immediately I wanted to do something that involved it. I was initially going to just put on muscle, but I soon realised that the clothes that were available were either skintight or made me look like I was wearing my dad’s suit. So, I thought, “Why not create something that me and my mates actually want to wear?” And that’s where the concept was born.
The brand is opening its first store in Dubai Mall. How important is the Middle East region to the brand – was it a market you always want to expand into?
Absolutely – I’ve visited the region a number of times, and I’m always blown away by the appetite for exercise here. It’s clearly a city that is obsessed with fitness. So, when we knew that we were all in on an omnichannel strategy, Dubai and the Middle East were always very high on our radar.
What influenced the expansion and how did you manage scaling while retaining quality?
We really want to be where our community are. And, as I say, there is a vast fitness community in Dubai. When we moved into bricks and mortar, we knew we wouldn’t instantly open 100 stores but rather be in iconic locations with amazing footfall. Take our first flagship store – it’s on Regent Street in London, one of, if not the most significant shopping street in Europe. And, it doesn’t come more iconic than The Dubai Mall in terms of both reputation and footfall. We also think that this ‘gentle’ approach enables us to ensure we retain quality in both our product, our people and our brand.
Which category drives sales consistently and what separates GYMSHARK apart and ahead from other brands?
We recently launched our brand platform, WE DO GYM. That’s there to tell everyone that we aren’t a sports brand, we aren’t an athleisure brand, we are a gym brand. It raised a few eyebrows at the time; some thought we might be narrowing our audience. We don’t look at it like that. We want to be the brand that represents the gym and be the first to bring the gym to the high street. As a result, our POWER range for men and our VITAL range for women are the real consistent performers, as these are the ranges that really give our community the confidence and style in the gym.
Having a passion for fitness yourself, what are the common values and lessons to be learned that translates into business?
Harking back to what I said about the falling in love with the gym when I was younger, when I started going, it gave me discipline, routine and structure. I was still at school and my grades dramatically improved almost overnight. And I’ve absolutely taken this into business – having this structure and routine.
Talk us through your wellness routine. What are your daily non-negotiable practices to set yourself up for an optimal body and mind?
I look to lift four or five times a week. We are very lucky to have a gym, The Lifting Club, on our campus, so I always try and make use of that. I have gotten more into running this year and am looking to bring my 5k time down.
What is your advice to those wanting to launch their own business?
Find something you love. For me, it was the gym, and I now believe that I have the best job in the world.
What are the key qualities does one needs to succeed today?
Resilience, humility and a bit of naive ambition.
As a founder, what is the greatest risk you’ve faced in growing your business and how did you know it was one you should take?
When you consider that Gymshark was a solely D2C (direct-to-consumer) brand, the COVID-19 pandemic had just happened, and there had been reports of the death of the high street for years, opening a store on Regent Street probably falls into that category. However, we often say we like to zig when others zag and go against the grain. I’d say this was a ‘seismic zig’, but as soon I saw the way Regent Street arcs to the left, the historic buildings and some of the incredible brands there, I knew it was the next step for Gymshark.
Alternatively, are there any milestones you are most proud of?
Well, the opening of Regent Street (and Dubai, of course too), naturally falls into that category. But I think I’m most proud when I see us bring our community together, as that shows me what we have built and that we are having a genuine, positive impact on people’s lives. So, whether it be our Lift events at cities around the world, store openings or even weekly run-clubs, there’s nothing better than seeing our community come together in real life.
How do you see the future of the brand – are there any category expansions and new goals on the horizon?
You will see more stores and more lines. You’ll see the evolution of POWER and VITAL, for sure. And our goal remains the same – to become the most iconic British brand in history.
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