interview
winston
The CEO of DW Sports
Fitness talks to Kate Cracknell
higham
about expansion plans and the
integration of retail and fitness
“T
he retail offering under rebrand was led mostly by the retail. I “By the time I left JJB to run an online
JJB was diabolical, and didn’t want people coming in when it business, Dave [Whelan] had sold the
when we took over was DW and saying it was just as bad as company. I stayed in touch with him,
the company in March it was when it was JJB,” he explains. “I though, and had always said to him that
2009, we inherited the stock that JJB wanted to get rid of the old JJB stock there was scope to merge retail and
was committed to,” says a very frank and sort out our warehousing before we leisure. That was my key driver when he
Winston Higham, CEO of the now even considered re-badging.” approached me about this job.”
rebranded DW Sports Fitness. That work is now complete; any In line with this, Higham’s
“The JJB name was also tarnished. remaining JJB outlets are retail-only responsibilities as CEO now encompass
They’d had nothing but closing down sites, not included in the deal, that both fi tness and retail. “The way to
sales since late 2008, so the customer remain under separate ownership. drive this business on is to have it as a
perception was that JJB wouldn’t be destination unit,” he continues. “Not a
around a lot longer – either the clubs one sporting destination retail site with a leisure club attached,
or the retail stores.” A former graphic designer, Higham but one sporting destination.”
Higham therefore had “a lot of things” worked in theatre, producing sets, So how does this work in practice?
he wanted to do before rebranding the followed by the music industry. Themed “The leisure and retail sides of the business
sites – the 53 former JJB Fitness Clubs, venues, nightclubs and pubs came next. are now linked at head offi ce – the buying
49 with attached retail outlets, bought “And then, 15 years ago, I became departments, marketing, design, fi nance…
back by original JJB Sports founder Dave marketing director for JJB Sports, running everything’s in one building. At JJB, they
Whelan for £83m. “The timing of the the marketing and the design of the stores. were run as two separate businesses.
At new clubs such as Tunstall, you’ll be welcomed by the same reception team whether you’re there for fitness or for retail
34 Read Health Club Management online january 2010 © cybertrek 2010
healthclubmanagement.co.uk/digital
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78