Boutique
Insights
Market Players
Beyond the Sweat: The Shift from Exercise to Multi-Dimensional Wellness
Anthony Geisler
Founder & CEO,
Sequel Brands
We’ve seen from 2025 that the health and fitness market is booming, and there’s never been a better time to operate in it. The brands that are winning simplify, deliver an exceptional member experience, and execute the fundamentals better than anyone else: generate a lead, close the lead, and retain the member. The future belongs to those who innovate while doing the basics brilliantly – that’s the standard we’re setting at Sequel.
Jack Thomas
Co-Founder,
BASE & The FIT Guide
Julian Barnes
Co-Founder & CEO,
BFS Network
In 2025, 17% of boutique fitness studios earned a net income of 20%+ (vs. 9.2% in 2022). Independently-owned studios across all modalities opened new locations globally while Pilates franchisors, led by Club Pilates, Studio Pilates and JetSet Pilates, continued their torrid pace of studio openings globally. Investors demonstrated their expectations for continued growth by (i) investing in Barry’s (Princeton Equity Group); (ii) supporting consolidations between Mariana Tek & Club Ready and Daxko & Exercise.com; and (iii) investing in Walla. New innovative business models emerged featuring business models that combined fitness & recovery (Activate House); fitness & co-working (MNT Studio) and fitness & concierge medicine (Bian). BFS supported the industry’s growth by publishing the boutique fitness industry’s most comprehensive State of the Industry Reports, The BFS Pilates Report and The BFS Strength Reports which, collectively, provided industry decision makers with unprecedented access to data & insights (courtesy of FitGrid Strategic Intelligence) that enabled them to make more well-informed decisions. 2026 will bring more subreports for other modalities and business functions as well as the launch of The BFS100 which will showcase exceptional studios worldwide.
In a market once led by quantity, we’re proud to see the boutique fitness sector elevate with a renewed focus on quality. From a business perspective, 2025 has clearly shown that those with proven business systems and trusted brands continue to rise above with the franchise market becoming more discerning, prioritising proof points and network health over hype and media noise. At Fitstop, we’re proud to be leading this shift. Our network continues to show strong growth both in new studio openings as well as network revenue. We now span four countries with an exciting and focused push into the USA market. From a consumer standpoint, the landscape is evolving just as fast. People are searching for detail, depth, and proof of how a product or service supports their individual goals. The days of a casual sweat are behind us. We’re in a new era where health, fitness, and performance are taken seriously, and we are absolutely here for it. Looking ahead, 2026 will be the year that personalisation wins. The brands that rise to the top will be those that embrace change, move away from cookie-cutter approaches, and empower both business owners and consumers with the structure, tools, and experience they need to get real results. For Fitstop, this means continued evolution in our systems, our brand, and most importantly, in how our community shows up. Expect to see us more active in external events, alongside the next evolution of our own experiences. The momentum is building, and the future of functional fitness has never looked stronger.
Peter Hull
Co-Founder & CEO,
Fitstop