By Xponential Fitness, the most prominent boutique fitness franchisor in the United States, marked a significant milestone on Friday as it began trading on the New York Stock Exchange. The Irvine, California-based company, founded by Anthony Geisler, the former CEO of LA Boxing, priced its initial public offering at $12 per share, aiming to raise $120 million.
Geisler’s journey in the boutique fitness industry began with acquiring Club Pilates, a small collection of boutique Reformer Pilates studios, in early 2015. Recognizing the untapped potential in the market, Geisler transformed Club Pilates into a thriving franchise with over 900 licensed locations. Building upon this success, he founded Xponential Fitness in 2017, making Club Pilates the company’s first brand. Since then, Xponential has expanded its portfolio to include eight additional fitness brands, such as Rumble Boxing, AKT, and YogaSix, catering to various workout preferences.
The COVID-19 pandemic presented unprecedented challenges for the fitness industry, with the U.S. fitness club industry losing $20.4 billion in 2020. Despite these setbacks, Xponential Fitness adapted to the changing landscape, offering a mix of in-studio and streaming workouts that allowed the company to serve more than 850,000 customers during the height of the pandemic.
While the company experienced declining system-wide sales and total revenue in 2020, Xponential Fitness remained focused on expanding, opening 240 new studios, and extending its global reach to Saudi Arabia, Japan, South Korea, and Australia. CFO John Meloun attributes the company’s resilience to its diversified portfolio and ability to retain consumers within the Xponential ecosystem through offerings like XPASS, a fitness pass that grants members access to classes across all nine brands.
As the boutique fitness industry prepares for a post-pandemic revival, Xponential Fitness is well-positioned to capitalize on the sector’s anticipated growth. According to Frost & Sullivan, an independent research firm, the U.S. boutique fitness market is expected to recover to $22.1 billion by 2022 and grow to $26.2 billion by 2025.
Managing director at BMO Capital Markets, Simeon Siegel, believes that the unique energy and social aspect of in-person fitness experiences will continue attracting consumers. “There’s a reason that when the Peloton Studio was open, people would go there,” Siegel notes. “I think what makes boutique fitness so special is the in-person energy, the ability to leave your house, the ability to go and see similar people.”
Meloun remains optimistic about the future of boutique fitness and Xponential’s role in the industry’s recovery. “Our consumers came right back to the studio [post-Covid],” he states. “Our system-wide sales exceed pre-Covid levels. That tells us that boutique fitness is strong and that the consumers that use it are returning to the gym.”
As Xponential Fitness embarks on this new chapter as a publicly traded company, it remains committed to providing consumers with a diverse range of high-quality boutique fitness experiences. With its proven business model, strategic approach to growth, and ability to adapt to changing market conditions, Xponential Fitness is poised to lead the charge in the boutique fitness industry’s post-pandemic revival.
The IPO of Xponential Fitness, following closely on the heels of Mark Wahlberg-backed F45 Training’s debut on the public market, underscores the growing investor interest in the boutique fitness sector. As the world emerges from the shadows of the pandemic, Xponential Fitness stands ready to seize the opportunities that lie ahead, shaping the future of the boutique fitness landscape.
