ROBINSONS Land Corporation is expanding its presence in sports and leisure through Robinsons Sports and Leisure, with GX Sports as one of the business unit’s first major concepts.
That vision came to life over the weekend as more than 250 athletes took part in GX Sports In Motion, a two-day hybrid fitness challenge held at Robinsons Galleria’s Main Atrium on September 5 and 6.
The event served as a preview of GX Sports, RLC’s first flagship hybrid sports facility, which is set to open at Level 2 of Robinsons Galleria.
But for RLC, the bigger play goes beyond opening a gym.
The company sees sports and fitness as a way to turn its developments into destinations where people can build communities, pursue their interests and, ultimately, have more reasons to keep coming back.
“We are seeing a meaningful shift in what customers want from the places they visit,” Ramon Rivero, head of Robinsons Sports and Leisure told SPIN.ph.
“People are no longer coming to our developments only to shop, dine or transact. They are looking for experiences that support their well-being, help them connect with others and give them more reasons to return regularly.”
That thinking sits at the heart of Robinsons Sports and Leisure, the RLC business unit behind the company's growing push into sports, recreation, wellness, leisure and entertainment.
And GX Sports is its first major expression.
Rather than positioning the concept around a single sport, RLC envisions GX Sports as an accessible, multi-sport platform that can adapt to the needs of different communities.
The Robinsons Galleria facility will initially bring together hybrid fitness through a HYROX Training Club X and two pickleball-sanctioned courts, creating a mix of performance, training and social play under one roof.
Hybrid fitness became the entry point because of its ability to bring different kinds of participants together.
“Hybrid fitness was the right way to introduce GX Sports because it is dynamic, inclusive and highly participatory,” Rivero continued.
And that inclusivity was hard to miss at GX Sports In Motion.
The all-day challenge was divided into three stations combining cardio and strength, but the competition floor drew a much wider crowd than the stereotypical image of a fitness competition.
There were teenagers and young adults alongside participants over 55, with some athletes showing up backed by their own fitness communities.
Competitors cheered for one another between stations, while friends and supporters gathered around the floor to encourage the athletes pushing through each workout.
It felt less like a collection of strangers competing against one another and more like a gathering of people who happened to share the same interest in movement, competition and getting better.
That community component could be crucial to RLC's sports and leisure ambitions.
For RLC, that was evidence that the opportunity isn't just in getting people to work out, but in creating experiences people want to be part of.
“It showed us that people are ready for well-designed sports experiences that allow them to challenge themselves while still enjoying the social side of participation,” he said.
That community component could become crucial to how RLC approaches sports and leisure moving forward.
GX Sports In Motion was more than a launch event. It also gave them a chance to observe what draws people in, how they participate and what could keep them coming back.
Robinsons Galleria, in that sense, becomes the testing ground.
RLC said it intends to use the Galleria location to establish the GX Sports operating model, understand customer behavior and identify which programs generate the strongest participation and retention.
And if the model works, the company is already looking beyond the EDSA-Ortigas mall.
Future GX Sports locations will not necessarily be carbon copies of the Galleria facility. Instead, RLC plans to tailor each concept according to the location, available space and demand of the community.
“One site may have a stronger racquet-sports offering, while another may focus on fitness, training or other emerging activities,” RLC said.
That flexibility hints at a broader strategy for the property giant: making sports and leisure an integral part of its destinations rather than simply an added amenity.
For Robinsons Galleria, the transformation starts with GX Sports. While for RLC, it could be the first move toward making its malls places where people don't just go to shop, but to move, compete, connect and belong.
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