1Rebel’s new collaboration with hip activewear brand Sweaty Betty is the catalyst for the boutique chain to work with more brands in the booming fitness lifestyle market.

That’s according to 1Rebel co-founder James Balfour, who says strategic tie-ups with on-brand partners is an area the company is eager to expand on.

“Aligning ourselves with dynamic fitness brands in apparel and retail is something that we strategically look to do and will be expanding on more and more in the future,” Balfour told Health Club Management.

“We genuinely want to be working with brands which represent our customer base, because you can see clearly how fitness apparel is absolutely booming right now.”

1Rebel’s latest tie-up sees the chain’s popular Rumble class being offered for free in UK Sweaty Betty retail stores every Tuesday until 16 February. Meanwhile, the Sweaty Betty website has a dedicated 1Rebel section offering a free Rumble video workout, as well as curated content, suggested workout looks and interviews with 1Rebel instructors.

Retail tie-ups with like-minded partners are becoming a key area of opportunity for boutique studios. Inspired by the retail success of boutique fitness operator SoulCycle – which saw retail account for 16 per cent of revenue in 2014 and is likely to have increased this since – operators like 1Rebel and Frame are working to beef up their own offerings.

For fitness operators, the symbiotic partnerships also offer a prime opportunity to boost secondary spend – an area Balfour says the health club industry has historically been “rubbish” at.

“The fitness industry has traditionally seen retail as a secondary focus, but that’s because if you put fitness clothes in a Fitness First or a Virgin Active club, the market is only as big as the membership, and that’s why the retail side has never really worked,” he added.

“But the boutique sphere is different, as our market is as many people as we want to come through the door – there are no barriers to entry. You just have to look at SoulCycle, who have been so successful with their retail because they’ve got so many people coming through their doors, wanting to be part of the brand and display it.”

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