Fast-growing boutique franchise concept Club Pilates has signed a master franchise agreement, which will bring 100 studios to South Korea over the next five years.
The deal marks another major milestone for the brand in Asia following its agreement in March to open 165 studios in Japan. Club Pilates was also part of a multi-brand agreement signed in June to bring boutique fitness offerings to Saudi Arabia.
Backed by Xponential Fitness – a curator of leading boutique fitness brands across every vertical including pilates, barre, indoor cycling, rowing, dance, stretching, yoga and running – Club Pilates first made its international debut in Canada in August 2018. Since then, boutique fitness has rapidly gained popularity across the globe, and Club Pilates is seizing the opportunity to introduce its low-impact, niche fitness concept to populations beyond North America.
The South Korean agreement is with Steven Lee, the former CEO of Pizza Hut Korea, and his company XFactor Fitness Limited, which is based in Seoul. XFactor will open a pilot studio of Club Pilates in Seoul by January 2020 and will launch franchising efforts shortly thereafter. After the Club Pilates debut, XFactor is slated to bring other Xponential Fitness brands to the country beginning in late 2020.
John Kersh, chief international development officer for Xponential Fitness said: “South Koreans are early adopters of global fitness trends. We believe Club Pilates and other Xponential Fitness brands will quickly become market leaders as Korean consumers experience our wide variety of classes, welcome environment and outstanding instructors.”
Club Pilates recently surpassed 550 studios open in the U.S. and will continue its aggressive growth trajectory through 2020. There are more than 200 studios projected to open between now and the end of 2020.
“This marks another huge step forward for Club Pilates,” said Shaun Grove, president of Club Pilates. “We couldn’t be more excited to partner with Steven and the XFactor team to further grow our lifestyle brand and workout in the Asia Pacific region.”
Since acquiring the brand in 2015, Xponential Fitness CEO Anthony Geisler has helped Club Pilates carve a niche in the crowded boutique fitness industry by providing consumers a tailored, high-end workout at an affordable cost. Strategic development is a key element to expanding the brand’s modernized and premium group and private practice, state-of-the-art equipment including reformers and empowering atmosphere at an affordable price.
