A dimmed-to-perfection studio, vibrant lighting, pumping playlists and a community that sweats together and celebrates together. If you looked back a few generations, this is not what people would have been asking for from their fitness provider but now it’s what most younger or ‘millennial’ consumers are looking for - an experience as well as a workout.

The culture of fitness has evolved drastically over the last 70 years. From the 1950’s body-building gyms and predominantly male user-base, to the 1960s where ‘figure salons’ entered onto the scene drawing in more women through to the 1970s where health clubs, popular with both men and women, started to pop up with a more holistic focus on exercise and wellbeing.

The younger generations now would rather sweat out calories vs. consume calories with their friends. Consumers accept the higher cost of the pay-as-you-go packs vs a traditional annual membership because the boutique fitness scene offers them bespoke experiences that can be done with friends paired with great health benefits. Likewise, the rise in social media and a culture of sharing and publishing our lives has seen people seek the next hottest thing to try out.

The world is also seeing a great increase in wearable technology. According to Statista, the number of wearable devices worldwide will double between 2019 and 2022. Workouts integrated with technology are becoming popular as people are more aware of their lifestyle choices, wanting to track their fitness performance and focus on optimising their health.

Boutique studios have capitalised on this ever growing ‘experience culture’, offering high-service, focused fitness concepts that deliver rich consumer experiences. They also offer personalisation, integrations with technology, community, and flexibility with simple, ´pay- as-you-play’ options which err away from traditional subscription models.

At TRIB3, focusing on experience at every touchpoint is what keeps our customers coming back time and time again. Every part of our boutique studios — from the changing rooms and fitness spaces to the mixology bar, lighting, the custom heart rate monitors and music — is designed to be a highly sensory and unforgettable experience. We focus on sight, sound, technology and smell to engage and delight our TRIB3Rs, creating a highly loyal customer base. Circa 80% of revenue comes through repeat business as a TRIB3 store matures.

While the COVID-19 pandemic has no doubt had a significant impact on the fitness sector as with many industries globally, with TRIB3’s ‘volume boutique’ model, facilitated by our unique studio design, we can demonstrate how quickly boutique fitness can rebound with the right set-up. Our high-capacity studio layout allows for a fast break-even at prudent occupancy levels through peak-usage loading, making our model highly resilient to current distancing measures. Couple this with our experience-focused design and loyal communities and you end up with a highly scalable, highly consumable product.

Come and create next-level workout experiences with us. Find out more about owning your own TRIB3.