The new Gym+Coffee clubhouse is now open in Liverpool ONE

Irish activewear and athleisure brand Gym+Coffee has opened its newest clubhouse in Liverpool ONE as part of its growing fitness community across the UK.

The store, on Manesty’s Lane, stocks a full range of signature clothing collections for men and women, plus accessories, with its distinctive logo.

But it’s about more than just somewhere to find a new sweatshirt or a pair of leggings – one of the main ideas behind Gym+Coffee is to bring together people who love any type of exercise, creating somewhere different in the city for fitness fans. Launching in 2017, the brand has fast become the go-to uniform for Ireland’s active community and people looking to ‘Make Life Richer’.

Adele Biggs at Gym+Coffee explains: “We call all our retail stores clubhouses for a reason,  they’re not only  a place to come in and buy your athleisure, for us and our community, they’re a central hub; somewhere people can come in and interact with each other and with our team.

“That’s a big drive behind the spaces for us – the social aspect of exercise. Obviously, you could just go to the gym, put your headphones on, get your head down and run for an hour if you wanted to – and we encourage that too! -but what we love is the social side of exercise, the coming together of an amazing group of people..

“It should be fun, you can meet people who are into the same thing as you or equally, meet people who aren’t doing the same and trysomething new.”

At the heart of Gym+Coffee’s community are its ‘activations’ – a range of inclusive exercise-based events including yoga sessions, seminars, running groups and outdoor activities either in or around the store.

“We know that one particular type of exercise isn’t going to suit everyone, so we try and mix things up and as well as using the space inside our clubhouses we make the most of outside space at our locations or even in local parks.”

The Gym+Coffee in Liverpool ONE is the brand’s fourth UK site, alongside Belfast, London and Manchester.

With former One Direction singer turned solo star Niall Horan as an ambassador and investor, the company has plans to extend its communities and its sustainable ethos.

Its goal is to create an entirely environmentally-conscious business and it already uses recycled plastic mannequins, as well as having a collection of sustainable athleisurewear pieces made from 100% recycled polyester. Even its carrier bags, made from recycled materials, have the message ‘I used to be a fridge.’

As for the ‘Coffee’ part of the brand name, Adele says that’s more about the concept of socialising rather than being somewhere to grab a decaf.

“The ‘Gym’ element represents our focus on exercise, healthy living and wellbeing and the ‘Coffee’ is a metaphor for  socialising and community, whether that’s around exercise specifically or catching up on the weekend with friends after you’ve gone for a run. And the ‘+’ ties it all together – that extra piece that connection brings, and that makes the whole Gym+Coffee community.”