Gymshark grew from a £500 garage startup into a $1.45 billion unicorn by leveraging influencer marketing, building a dedicated community, and using a direct-to-consumer (DTC) model. Founder Ben Francis targeted fitness enthusiasts via YouTube, creating high-quality, fitted gym wear that felt authentic to the lifting community.
How did Gymshark grow a 100m business in 7 years with influencers?
But how did founder Ben Francis manage to scale Gymshark into a £1 Billion company? The answer? Influencer Marketing! Gymshark, which began its rapid growth on Instagram, and in recent years accelerated its growth by utilising TikTok Influencers using TikTok, YouTube and other social media platforms.
The recruitment of child labour (directly or indirectly) is strictly prohibited in the Gymshark supply chain. This includes permanent, temporary, or casual labour, whether directly or indirectly employed by the management of the workplace, as well as children who have been trafficked or sold into work.
With a stake of over 70% in Gymshark which is currently valued by investors at $1.45 billion, Francis had a net worth of $1.3 billion as of April 2023.
Influencer Alix Earle settled a $1M lawsuit with Gymshark, claiming they dropped her over pro-Israel posts. She alleged the brand cut ties in late 2023 after backlash, including comments like, “Why do you have a Zionist in your ad?” Earle had posted, “Now and always, we stand with the people of Israel.”
Gymshark offers solid quality for its price. Their seamless technology is comfortable, and their materials are functional for most gym workouts. However, they are not on par with Lululemon for longevity.
Fabletics offers stylish, affordable, subscription-based activewear with a focus on trendy designs and personalization, appealing to everyday fitness and lifestyle wear, while Gymshark provides performance-focused, high-quality gear known for squat-proof leggings and strong community, better for serious lifting but with potential inconsistencies in sizing and quality. Choose Fabletics for value and fashion, Gymshark for dedicated gym performance, but be mindful of Fabletics' subscription model and potential quality dips versus Gymshark's variable fit.
We ban the use of child labour anywhere in the Primark supply chain – it is unacceptable. This is clearly set out in the Primark Code of Conduct, which is based on standards set by the Ethical Trading Initiative (ETI) and the International Labour Organisation (ILO).
U.K.-based fitness apparel brand Gymshark has formed its first U.S. wholesale partnership with Dick's Sporting Goods to bring its gymwear to 12 Dick's House of Sport locations.
The UK's youngest billionaire is Ben Francis, the founder and CEO of fitness apparel giant Gymshark, consistently recognized by publications like Forbes for his youthful success, building the brand from his parents' garage in the early 2010s using savvy social media marketing to become a global sportswear powerhouse. He was awarded an MBE in 2023 for his contributions to the business sector.
Morgan, who exited Gymshark in 2020 after selling his remaining 20% stake for roughly £100 million, said the investment was made after his departure from the sportswear brand.
Lululemon dominates the $432 billion global athleisure market with 21.2% of US market share, outpacing all key competitors combined by 163%. Alo Yoga ($1.6B), Athleta ($1.4B), Vuori ($1B), Fabletics ($850M), and Sweaty Betty ($180M) follow as the premium segment challengers.
The richest family in the UK is the Hinduja family, led by Gopi Hinduja, with a net worth of £35.3 billion as of the 2025 Sunday Times Rich List, topping the list for the fourth consecutive year despite a slight dip in their fortune from their vast Hinduja Group conglomerate. They are followed by the Reuben family (property, tech) and Sir Leonard Blavatnik (media, chemicals), while the Dyson family and Weston family (retail) also feature high on the list.
He decided to step down from his position in 2015 and bring in Steve Hewitt to lead the company. Ben explained that he lacked the skills necessary to grow and expand the company, and Steve Hewitt would do just that for the next 6 years.
