Club Pilates President Reveals Expansion Strategy
Tianna Strateman, President of Club Pilates, shared details of the franchise's expansion plans and scaling strategies. The brand is also launching a new athletic-based concept called 'Circuit.' The announcement offers a look into how a leading reformer Pilates brand is evolving its model to capture a wider market.
Club Pilates, owned by Xponential Fitness, has scaled to over 1,300 studios worldwide, making it the largest Pilates franchise globally. This growth is built on a franchise model with an initial investment ranging from approximately $196,525 to $458,575 and ongoing royalty fees of 8% of gross sales. The franchise playbook provides end-to-end support for owners, covering real estate site selection, lease negotiation, studio build-out, and pre-sale marketing that begins the moment a lease is signed. Franchisees are also given assistance in hiring qualified instructors and general managers, a critical component for maintaining quality across multiple locations. The new 'Circuit' class is the brand's first new format in seven years, developed in response to member demand for higher-intensity, performance-driven workouts. The class blends strength, mobility, and cardio across multiple pieces of equipment like the reformer and springboard, directly tapping into the industry trend of hybrid fitness formats. This strategy contrasts with competitors like Solidcore, which focuses on high-intensity, low-impact strength training on a custom reformer and has scaled to over 150 studios, largely through corporate-owned locations funded by private equity. Solidcore's site selection is heavily driven by demographic and psychographic data to identify premium markets. The broader boutique fitness market is seeing a major shift towards integrating structured strength training alongside traditional Pilates and yoga. This move is designed to attract a wider audience, particularly younger professionals who prioritize functional health, injury prevention, and workouts that deliver visible results. For multi-unit expansion, successful brands emphasize a strong pre-sale and grand opening strategy to build momentum for new locations. Club Pilates provides franchisees with a digital marketing playbook and personalized support to drive membership sales before the doors even open. As studios scale, instructor retention becomes paramount. Beyond compensation, creating clear career pathways and a strong studio culture are key differentiators. The role of instructors is evolving, with top studios viewing them as key brand ambassadors who are central to building member community and loyalty. Club Pilates' international growth is executed through Master Franchise Agreements, which commit partners to opening a set number of studios in a specific region, such as the recent agreements for 20 studios in Thailand and 65 in Mexico. This model allows for rapid global expansion by leveraging local expertise.
