Boutique studio boom set to spread beyond London
Having conquered the country’s capital, Britain’s booming boutique fitness sector looks set to spread its wings beyond London in the year ahead.
Inspired by boutique pioneers in New York and Los Angeles such as SoulCycle and Barry’s Bootcamp, boutique fitness studios have taken London by storm in recent years and – together with the budget sector – have been the health club industry’s biggest areas of growth since the recession.
But with competition for affluent consumers – boutique fitness classes typically cost between £14-25 – and prime locations reaching fever pitch in London, it seems 2016 could be the year when boutique studios truly break out of the M25.
“We’re looking to expand at the moment and locations outside of London are definitely something we’re exploring,” Heartcore co-founder Brian Schuring told Health Club Management.
“I’m pretty sure everyone in the London boutique space will do sooner or later – we’ll all get sick of bashing each other over price eventually.”
For Schuring, who has quietly amassed an empire (by boutique standards) of eight sites across the capital with his partner Jess Schuring, the issue isn’t so much the number of customers available, but more the lack of viable spaces in London which represent value for money.
Site acquisition has been a perennial barrier to growth in London. Aside from exorbitant property prices, planning laws can also be cumbersome.
“We’ve still got the major hurdle of planning committees frequently blocking applications to convert A1 spaces into fitness studios,” said Barry’s Bootcamp UK co-owner Sandy Macaskill, whose efforts to find a third London location for his boutique chain have been frustrated by council planning committees.
“It’s as if the 2012 Olympic legacy didn’t even happen – councils are telling everyone to be more active but then they don’t want to see fitness studios on the high street.”
Aside from Heartcore, it seems that other boutique businesses are also looking to avoid such property problems and snap up sites in different parts of the country.
Pip Black, co-founder of Frame Fitness – which is about to launch its fourth London location – announced recently that the female-focused boutique chain is branching out beyond London.
Having received funding in December from angel investors, Black reiterated the company’s plans to launch two new sites each year and said Brighton, Bristol and Manchester are all possible locations.
Colin Waggett, CEO of Third Space, told Health Club Management last month that his chain's forthcoming boutique concept Another Space could also include locations outside the capital if the site was right. Furthermore, online gym pass provider PayasUgym is planning to take its new fitness festival Urban Movement on the road to showcase the best 'boutique-style' fitness classes across the UK.
Meanwhile, boutique fitness is also making its mark in the north east. Joanne McCue Bannatyne – the former wife of Duncan Bannatyne – recently introduced a range of boutique fitness concepts at her WattFitness studio on Teesside Industrial Estate.
“Small boutique fitness units are a new concept in the UK but they are the future of the fitness industry, not the old-style health clubs,” said Joanne McCue Bannatyne.
“They’re growing quickly in London after sweeping the US market, but you’ll find nothing like this outside of London anywhere in the UK, so Teesside is helping to lead the way for the future of fitness in this country.”
Boutique fitness London Heartcore Barry’s Bootcamp Frame Fitness SoulCycleHeartcore launches latest boutique fitness studio in former London church
Sweaty Betty brand tie-up is the first of many, says 1Rebel founder James Balfour
New study to explore the marketing trends for boutique fitness studios
Pure Gym teams with Chris Hoy to launch boutique cycle studio
BIG unveils Eve Music Hall as Croatia venue nears completion
Bob Rogers hands BRC to long-serving leadership team
Wellness care hospital opens in Vilnius with innovative spa and hospitality concept
Universal and Puy du Fou projects point to rise of Oxford–Cambridge corridor
A proposed Puy du Fou development near Bicester and Universal Destinations and Experiences’ planned resort in Bedford are emerging as part of a wider transformation of the Oxford–Cambridge Growth Corridor into a major centre for UK leisure and tourism investment.
For years, the corridor has been associated primarily with science, technology, housing and university-led economic growth. However, the clustering of large-scale visitor attraction projects along the
All-inclusive eco-wellness development Auko to open near Vietnam’s Son Doong caves
Shedd Aquarium upgrades its visitor experience with new Immersion Theater
Shedd Aquarium has opened the Immersion Theater developed in partnership with SimEx-Iwerks, as part of a wider strategy to enhance the guest experience and create additional revenue opportunities.
The attraction has transformed the aquarium’s Phelps Auditorium into a multi-sensory venue combining panoramic projection, environmental effects and interactive technology.
A new pre-show area allows visitors to engage with augmented reality marine animals before entering the
Mandarin Oriental announces standalone Mansions-branded residences for Abu Dhabi
MCR is planning a luxury hotel for London's BT Tower
Joy as a radical act: Yinka Ilori launches solo exhibition celebrating the rebellious power of spreading happiness
Work gets underway on Madrid's €800 million leisure complex
Work is underway in Madrid on one of Europe’s most significant multi-functional complexes, combining sport, entertainment, culture and education.
The €800 million initiative to regenerate the former Olympic Aquatic Centre in the north-east of the city, next to the Riyadh Air Metropolitano stadium, is being led by Barsento – a joint venture between Live Nation Entertainment, Oak View Group and Atlético de Madrid. The project will
Therme Manchester reveals 90:90 strategy – 90 per cent of the UK population within a 90-minute drive of a Therme
Four Seasons’ Naples Beach Club opens 2,800sq m Sanctuary spa inspired by indigenous Calusa people
Orient Express Corinthian to host Ocean Rebirth wellness retreat in collaboration with Guerlain
Famed London nightclub, Tramp, launches Tramp Health
First look: Miraval opens on the Red Sea in Saudi Arabia
Hainan Science Museum by Ma Yansong, opens in China
A new science museum has opened to the public in Haikou after attracting more than 350,000 visitors during a four-month soft opening period.
Designed by Ma Yansong and his practice MAD Architects, the Hainan Science Museum is located on the edge of Wuyuan River National Wetland Park and has already recorded peak attendance of more than 5,800 visitors in a single day.
Commissioned by
Zannier Île De Bendor launches with design by Hardel Le Bihan Architectes
Sæl Spa readies for launch in London: “a modern British sanctuary”
Immersive art bathhouse Submersive announces debut location in Austin
Construction begins on regenerative wellness destination The Shenandoah Nature Resort
Royal Caribbean reveals record-breaking cruise ship
V&A East opens in London
David Geffen galleries open at LACMA
New venue The Lands by Capella includes a longevity centre to complement sister hotel Capella Sydney
World of Frozen launches at Disneyland Paris
Pical Resort by Valamar reveals first Croatian spa under the ESPA brand
Mandarin Oriental creates end-to-end Egyptian journey with two new hotels and first-ever luxury river cruise
Designers Mendil + Meyer launch new division called Lām Concepts for strategic wellness projects
Wilderness Bisate in Rwanda reveals brand’s second Sanctuary spa
4a Architekten shares details of wellness extension at Salinarium Bad Dürkheim Thermal Spa
Designed to restore neglected land and renew the identity of Iraq’s capital city, Baghdad Sustainable Forests promises a new way of living surrounded by nature. Gensler’s Ian Mulcahay tells us why he thinks the project could become a model for the repair and enhancement of urban centres
