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Gravity Active Entertainment represents one of the most fun and exciting franchise concepts to launch from the U.K. It’s an easily recognizable brand that instantly evokes memories of e-karting, trampolining, urban climbing and much more; what’s not to love? With 30 activities being offered at the centers, there will be something for every family member. The kids can run themselves ragged in the trampoline park while the parents enjoy a drink at the Gravity Social Bar.
Gravity has created a one-stop shop on the high street for families looking for a fun day out, or to celebrate a birthday. One visit is enough to get anyone hooked to Gravity’s entertainment offering and leave them coming back for more. The locations are unique too; with the in-house team working with every developer to give each location a special flavor, whether it’s themed around New York’s neverending buzz or the neon landscapes of Tokyo. No two locations are the same.
The presence of Gravity locations is a boon for the local high street or shopping mall, and can often be the sole reason people will visit such an area. Footfall in British shopping malls is around 20 to 30 per cent lower than 2019, except for Southside Wandsworth, where there is a busy Gravity location.
Universal appeal
The best thing about Gravity’s offering is that it is entirely universal, and can be enjoyed by all, no matter who they are or where they live. Big box leisure concepts have been around for some time and are a popular pastime for families in the U.S.
However, the concept has wings and is traveling around the world. The varied nature of activities at Gravity centers caters to all sorts of people. This can be directly observed by the success of Gravity in its location in Saudi Arabia.
Saudi Arabia doesn’t have an extensive history with leisure concepts and activities like bowling, but the brand signed a deal with a local partner in the country four years ago. It’s been nothing short of a success, as the location remains busy as ever with Saudi families bringing their children there for a fun time. The local climate has had an effect too, with Gravity centers being the ideal locations to get out of the hot sun, creating a long period of the year in which the business will be ‘in season’.
The great success of Gravity in Saudi Arabia hasn’t gone unnoticed; the brand now has a master franchise deal to open 15 Gravity locations across the country.
It’s even COVID-19-proof, as no number of disruptions or lockdowns stopped the brand from engaging 65,000 customers a month in 2020, with many locations outperforming pre-COVID-19 results.
International expansion is on the cards
The universal nature of the brand has made it a strong candidate for international expansion; the family entertainment brand opened its first European location in Leipzig, Germany in December 2021. Situated within the NOVA Leisure and Shopping Center, this location is already attracting many German families!
Gravity had never intended to franchise from the outset; that was just a natural result of brand popularity and the quality of every location. In order to meet the unending demand from eager landlords, the brand decided to approach the franchise model to scale up quickly and meet demand.
The brand is in strong hands too, with the same owners who created the brand and grew it to where it is today. Co-founder Michael Harrison was born into a traveling circus, and has an intimate understanding of how to entertain families, and more importantly, the seasons in which such businesses are most popular.
Different countries have different climates and cultures, and that will lend to countries having varying periods in the year in which Gravity centers are busy. The owners’ experience has led to the creation of an offering that is attractive all year-round and during the entire week. With every location around the world able to enjoy a similar level of business, comparisons can be easily made, and learnings can be more universally applied.
Franchisees aren’t on their own
The success of the brand is down to the success of its franchisees, and Gravity offers extensive training and support to create a fruitful franchise. Alongside ongoing support and review, Gravity sources and negotiates sites for its franchisees and makes significant contributions to its franchisees business; greatly reducing the risk for new international locations.
Gravity is willing to invest up to £1.5m into new franchise territories when possible, providing franchisees with a high level of comfort and support to help them succeed in their newfound business.
The support isn’t just at the start either, it’s ongoing. Specialists are on hand to provide advice in every department, from operations to business planning support. Franchisees can rest easy that they won’t be alone in business; they’ll have a partner they can rely on no matter the time of day.
A landlord’s dream
While Gravity enjoys custom all week and year-round, it shares the love with neighboring businesses. With increased footfall in every location where there is a Gravity center, those same feet will likely walk into many different stores and shops. Midweek has often been the problem for landlords on busy streets and malls, but Gravity has brought shoppers back to the shops.
As a result, landlords are eager to work with the brand and boost its local economy. COVID-19 induced lockdowns further uncovered the reliance landlords place on retail and food and beverage, resulting in landlords that are more susceptible to new concepts that can attract customers to the area or mall. Therefore, it’s no surprise that landlords around the world have been courting Gravity in a bid to boost business and footfall.
Potential franchisees are well positioned to save some money on what is a considerable aspect of franchise development, real estate. With Gravity’s offering in demand around the world, it places the brand in a strong negotiating position with landlords.
At a Glance Gravity Active Entertainment
Established: 2014 (franchising since 2017)
Number of franchised outlets: six and one master (min 14 units)
Location of units: U.K., Europe, Middle East
Investment range: Up to £6m
Minimum required capital: £500,000
Contact: Richard Lang, chief development officer, richard@gravity-uk.com gravity-uk.com/franchising
