Ten years ago in San Diego, Club Pilates was born. This May, the company is celebrating growth after the signing of its 500th franchise agreement, averaging close to a new location a day.
The company is located in 35 states and two countries, and is on pace to have around 700 to 750 locations sold by the end of the year. The president of Club Pilates, Shaun Grove, said the company’s goal for 2017 through 2018 is to sell out the U.S. market, with international expansion on deck.
While the company was born in the West Coast, Club Pilates is saturating the East Coast market — with a large presence in the south Florida area, along with more northern areas; such as New Jersey and Boston.
Grove believes the success is due to the brand’s re-developed concept and re-branding. The changes had the goal of making Pilates accessible for everyone — along with offering best-in-class equipment and best-in-class facilities to members at an affordable price.
“Traditionally, Pilates has been relegated to the more elite, because classes weren’t available, or if they were available, they were way too expensive,” said Grove. “So, we’ve redeveloped this whole concept to provide many more classes throughout a day, in a much larger facility, with much more equipment and more qualified instructors.”
This change was reflected in the brand’s look as well. “We redesigned the total look and feel of the brand, made a conscious effort to reach out to corporate investors that were looking to get into franchising, as opposed to just Pilates instructors and enthusiasts,” said Grove. “Finding those multi-unit operators has been a part of really fueling the growth.”
Club Pilates offers traditional Pilates, with the addition of classes incorporating TRX, TriggerPoint and barre. The number of instructors varies by studio due to the amount of members, but Grove estimated an average of five to six instructors per location as a studio fully matures. Before teaching a class, instructors have to complete a 500-hour comprehensive certification that Club Pilates recognizes, then complete a “Club Pilates Bridge Program,” what Grove described as a three-day employee training, teaching them how to do things the “Club Pilates Way.”
Grove stated that health and wellness offers satisfaction above profit — rather, providing members with a positive experience, and that Club Pilates has a differentiation point from other Pilates and boutique fitness centers by driving community throughout the studios.
“You’re providing a product and service to enhance people’s lives, and that’s what it’s about — bringing that mind/body experience to our members and providing them with the most positive atmosphere,” said Grove. “Our tag line, ‘Do Pilates, Do Life,’ is about doing life better, and that’s what kind of drives our philosophy here, and I think that encourages people to come to our studio.”
