Member Article

World’s largest Pilates brand launches in the UK amidst £1bn network sales for parent franchisor

Club Pilates, the largest network of premium Pilates studios globally that offer a range of low-impact, full-body Reformer-based workouts, has announced the launch of two brand-new UK studios in Bankside and Fulham Broadway. Marking an exciting start to Club Pilates’ significant franchise rollout in the UK, the Bankside studio will be the first to launch on January 12th, closely followed by a flagship studio in Fulham Broadway, opening on January 26th.

The news comes amidst network sales of £1.04bn in the last 12 months for Club Pilates’ parent franchisor Xponential Fitness in North America alone - an 85% increase since 2021 - and the long-term ambition is to launch 50-75 UK Club Pilates studios in the next three to five years.

It is expected this will create up to 900 new jobs nationwide across key territories such as London, Manchester, Leeds, Glasgow, Cardiff and Belfast, as membership and studio visits also soar across Xponential Fitness franchises globally; the parent franchisor now has some 720,000 members across its full portfolio - up 62% since 2021 - and studio visits neared 40m (39.2m) in 2022, buoyed by over 500 new studio openings.

Founded in 2007, Club Pilates has revolutionised the global fitness landscape by offering full-body Reformer-based workouts that innovatively integrate a mix of cardio, strength and interval style training, suitable for all ages and fitness levels.

Headquartered in Irvine, California, the franchise has sold 1533 locations across the world, including in the US, Canada, Australia, Japan, the Dominican Republic and Germany, with over 935 studios now operating globally with the addition of the new Bankside and Fulham Broadway UK studios.

In 2015, Anthony Geisler, Director and Chief Executive Officer of parent company Xponential Fitness which he founded in 2017, acquired Club Pilates, growing the brand by a remarkable 600% in its first two years, expanding its footprint from 30 to over 200 locations. Club Pilates now makes up nearly one third of Xponential Fitness’ global portfolio of over 2,900 locations as the largest global franchisor in the $20bn+ boutique fitness industry.

Having seen such impressive growth, Club Pilates now aims to replicate this in the UK under the visionary lead of Chief Richard Uku, the Master Franchise Holder for Club Pilates UK, and Founder of leading fitness and wellness firm Deblankson Fitness Group.

Born in Nigeria, at a young age Richard moved to Tunbridge Wells, Kent, subsequently studying for a European Business undergraduate degree before completing a Masters in International Business. Richard began his career in banking, moving up the ranks at several leading financial and consulting firms in London before being transferred to New York. However, having become jaded with the volatility that goes hand in hand with a career in corporate finance, Richard yearned to start a business of his own. It was at this point around eight years ago that he was introduced to a franchise broker, who in turn introduced him to Club Pilates.

Since then, Richard, through his company Deblankson Fitness Group, has been instrumental in opening multiple Club Pilates franchise locations across New York and New Jersey, and is now focused on doing the same in the UK market.

Speaking on his growth plans for the UK, Richard said: “We cannot wait to see Bankside and our flagship Fulham Broadway studios open to the public in January, officially kickstarting an exciting period of growth. At Club Pilates, we are passionate about the extensive health benefits Pilates in all forms can provide. I’m excited to introduce our accessible concept to a UK audience who we know have a rapidly growing interest in Pilates.”

Breaking away from the elitist perception of Pilates, the brand offers accessible and diverse class options with nine different formats and four levels to choose from, their most popular classes are Reformer Flow, Cardio Sculpt and CP Suspend. Club Pilates distinguishes itself by enhancing the 50-minute class experience with 11 different pieces of equipment, including the EXO Chair, Bosu Ball, Triggerpoint, TRX, Barre, and more. Notably, Club Pilates is also the first Pilates organisation to introduce a proprietary 500-hour Teacher Training Programme, ensuring Pilates is accessible to everyone, fostering community, and delivering holistic fitness experiences.

With classes available every day of the week, Pilates enthusiasts can expect a myriad of health benefits, including increased flexibility, improved posture, enhanced core strength, stamina, and an overall contribution to healthier, happier lives.

Richard adds: “Not only are the benefits to be had for members and clients substantial, but also franchisee’s average annual revenue after two years can be in excess of £400,000. The support we provide is industry-leading too, from assisting franchisees with site selection and build out, through to instructor and management training, pre-sale member build, ongoing monitoring, and operational support tapping into extensive data analytics capabilities.”

Richard concludes: “Having spent such a big part of my life in the UK, it’s incredibly exciting to be launching here, and we truly believe we can revolutionise the Pilates landscape in the UK.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Lucie Hayes .