Pilates Business Podcast

What’s Next for Boutique Fitness? Trends and Strategies for Studio Growth in 2025

• Seran Glanfield • Season 20 • Episode 195

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In this forward-looking episode of The Pilates Business Podcast, host Seran Glanfield explores what 2025 holds for boutique fitness studio owners. From emerging trends to evolving client expectations, Seran shares key insights to help studio owners plan for growth, stay competitive, and build deeper connections with their clients. 

Discover how Pilates continues to dominate the market, the rise of hybrid class offerings, and the critical role of community and retention in studio success.
 
Whether you're expanding your studio footprint or streamlining operations, this episode is packed with actionable strategies to help you thrive in the year ahead.

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Speaker 1:

Are you ready to take your studio to the next level in 2025? We know that the boutique fitness industry is evolving fast, and staying ahead of the curve could be the difference between surviving and thriving, and in this episode, I'm going to be diving into the trends, the challenges and the opportunities for growth in the year ahead. So, from industry shifts to the ever-evolving consumer preferences, I'm going to be talking about it all because now is the time to get informed on what's coming and craft a solid plan for growth that makes your studio the go-to spot in town. Well, hi there, I'm Saren Glanfield. I'm a business and marketing strategist just for boutique fitness studio owners like you. If you're ready to be inspired and make a bigger impact, you're in the right place. All you need are a few key strategies, the right mindset and some support along the way. Join me as I share the real life insights that will help you grow a sustainable and profitable studio.

Speaker 1:

This is the Pilates Business Podcast. Hey there you guys. Welcome back to the Pilates Business Podcast. I'm your host, saren Glanfield, and I'm so thrilled you're here listening to this today. Oh, my goodness, I cannot believe how quickly the end of year is coming, and are you guys ready for an epic start to 2025? If not, you will be by the end of this episode, because, as we approach the end of the year, many, many studio owners, maybe just like you, are asking themselves the same question, which is what can I do to make 2025 another epic success? And so I want to share with you a little bit of what I'm observing in the industry right now, and also perhaps some of the things that you might want to think about as you think about growth for your studio, because I spent many, many, many, many years actually far longer than I kind of almost like to admit at this point working with studio owners, and all of the folks that I work with are insanely passionate about teaching and about movement and about sharing their expertise with their clients. But sometimes the thinking ahead in terms of the business business growth can feel like a lot, a little bit overwhelming and perhaps not sure where to start. So, if that sounds familiar to you, what I want you to just take into consideration right around this time of year is that, when you want to grow your business and you want to grow your studio and you want new clients coming in consistently and you want to keep them coming back. That doesn't just happen by accident. It happens when you have a fabulous experience that you give to your clients, but you're also very intentional about that experience and how you want to communicate that with your clients and your community, and even the folks beyond the four walls of your studio. So when you get intentional about what you want for your business and yourself, that's truly when the magic starts to happen, and that's usually the beginnings of this ambition and inspiration that I see sparked in so many studio owners around this time of year.

Speaker 1:

As we think ahead, you know, I think right now, planning for growth has really never been more important. Now. Planning for growth has really never been more important. We've witnessed epic shifts in this industry over the last two to three years, and if you have recently joined the industry and are opening a studio, or perhaps even if you've been around for a while, like me, you will have witnessed and seen how these new challenges and new trends are emerging for us all. And the good news, though, is that, from my perspective, from what I'm seeing is that when you've got a great growth plan in place, I see only opportunity for you and your business, and the reason why I want to draw that to your attention right now is that if you are planning to head into 2025 without a plan for your growth, then you might find that you are not, as you're not going to experience quite the level of success that you would like, because there is a tremendous amount of competition, and the competition is only growing. It's growing in the shapes of other studios opening doing the same or similar things to you, but it's also growing in terms of competition within the wellness space as a whole, as well as competition for our attention, constantly being bombarded by so many different marketing messages.

Speaker 1:

Now is a time to get organized, to get planning and to set your goals so that 2025 can truly be an incredible year of growth for your studio. So it's crucial to have a solid plan in place. So why don't we start by looking at the bigger picture, what's happening right now, what have we seen right now in the boutique fitness industry, and maybe how you can think about where your studio sits in the industry as a whole? So what we know if you haven't been living under a rock is that Pilates is leading the way when it comes to growth. In 2024, pilates had the largest market share of any boutique fitness modality, its share of any boutique fitness modality, followed by yoga and cardio spin, and this aligns truly with what I've seen in my coaching as well in the studio owners that I work with inside of my Thrive group coaching program.

Speaker 1:

What I've seen is that there is a number of new studios opening, but I've also witnessed some of my fabulous studio owners expanding their locations and their footprint also, often both, and what we've seen is that Pilates and Pilates classes are able to tap into a very wide audience, not just people who are new to movement, but also people who are. The inclined base really stems from people who have been doing Pilates for years, perhaps from a rehabilitation perspective, and are looking at one-on-one or appointment type of an interaction with a studio and a teacher, all the way down to perhaps these larger I would say larger for Pilates studios but with multiple spots in a class on equipment, and we're seeing a lot of growth across the board in all of those areas. And so that means that we have different demographics now being able to access Pilates and Pilates-like classes on a very, very regular basis. And so we have seen what I would say that the market, the audience, a number of people who enjoy Pilates and Pilates-like classes on a regular basis has grown tremendously, and so this is a good thing for our industry as a whole, because what it means is we have more and more people who want movement and are willing to dedicate time and energy and investment into their movement practice.

Speaker 1:

So what we've seen, though, on top of that, is that not only are we seeing a growth in those Pilates type classes, but we're also seeing that there is an interest in a combination of modalities within a studio. So, for example, if you are a bar studio, you might have also recently added perhaps some more strength based classes with heavier weights onto the schedule, and if you have, then huge kudos to you, because what you are doing is evolving and adapting with the trends that we are seeing and what we're seeing consumers lean more into and want more of, and this is truly going to set you up for success long-term, because if you can offer more of what your clients want, well, then the results are going to end up with higher revenue and more clients buying from you, which is what we all want, right? So what we know is that our clients are more sophisticated than ever before when it comes to their movement practice. They are more informed about their wellness, about what they need to be doing on a regular basis when it comes to exercise and movement and taking care of themselves, and so what you want to make sure that you're doing is that you are referencing that in your marketing efforts and showcasing that you indeed are able to meet their needs and their wants. Okay, so if you're a bar studio and you've added those heavier weight options to some of your classes, then make sure you're showcasing that to your community, because the client that came to you perhaps two, three or four years ago before you had that class might want to come back and check it out because they might be interested in that. Okay, now, on top of that, we do see that most clients, many clients, enjoy a little bit of variety. So if you do only offer one type of class in your studio, then now is the time to think about how you might want to adjust and adapt more towards what your clients need and want. If you're not sure, perhaps survey your clients, think about where else your expertise, your skills and your talents lie and how you can kind of combine and meet and where your clients where they are at Okay.

Speaker 1:

Now, on top of that, what we've seen is that clients value flexibility and convenience more than ever before. They expect a seamless online booking experience. They expect you to start your classes on time. They expect you to have a professional interaction with them and that you are acknowledging and working with them as a client to your business. So we are expected in the day and age today that we have a great online presence. Websites look great, work really really well. You're findable online, you can book online, you can pay online, people can book online and reschedule and cancel online. This is the world that we're in today, and so if you are not quite there yet, then now is the time to make sure that you are able to deliver that digital experience, because, truly, the experience to be able to access your classes and your members will respond very positively in terms of less cancellations if you give those types of experience. These details, as small as they might sound, truly do make or break the client experience and, with the level of competition that exists out there right now, you don't want there to be any roadblocks that pop up that stop your clients from being able to access your services.

Speaker 1:

So let's, since we know now where we have come from. Let's talk a little bit about what the next year might look like for you. And that means we have to talk about growth because, generally, we are all here to grow our studios in some way, shape or form. And I want to address that really, really quickly because I want you to think about how you define growth for your studio. For some people, growth might mean opening a second, third, fourth, fifth or even 20th location. For others, it might simply be about increasing membership, adding more people into your classes, be about increasing membership, adding more people into your classes, adding more people into the schedule, or perhaps diversifying your class offerings, adding more classes to the schedule.

Speaker 1:

And although what we know is that many, many, many of you are looking and planning to expand at some point in the next 12 to 18 months, some of you are also thinking about how you can simply streamline exactly what you have right now so that you can make your life a little bit simpler, a bit more straightforward and perhaps give you a little back of that time that you have invested into the business up until this point. And, either way, I want you to be very, very clear on what your success looks like for your business, because what we've seen, what I've observed with studio owners that I get to work with, is that when you're not clear about where you're heading, it tends to create this sort of spinning the wheels effect, where you get pulled in multiple different directions. You're not really sure what you need to do first, second or third struggle to prioritize. You feel overwhelmed, and it's often because you're often in sort of internal conflict between wanting to grow but also wanting to perhaps have some time back, and sometimes those things can't happen simultaneously at the same time. They can happen, but maybe not at the same time, and if you want to make them happen at the same time, then you need to get really, really clear on how you can make that your goal for this year. So if you're looking to grow, that's great. If you're looking to stabilize and to build out your systems and in order to scale in the future, also great. But you decide, make it super clear for yourself and stick with it, okay, because your growth can also mean simply connecting with your clients, delivering a fabulous experience and perhaps simply just adding on to your own level of expertise, okay.

Speaker 1:

So when we look at what marketing is going to look like for 2025,. This is where things get really, really exciting. Obviously, with the rise of AI in all the places, this is going to play a major part in a lot of ways. You can use AI, chatgpt, to craft a more or better marketing messaging and marketing content, and I do encourage you, if you are using AI in your business, to be really thoughtful about how you're using it and what the quality of the content that it might be creating for you really does, because we know that content is key. We know what you're saying and how you're saying it and when you're saying it and where you're saying. It really matters to the client, and so it should, and absolutely should, represent you, your brand, your values and your tone.

Speaker 1:

If you are just copying and pasting whatever ChatGPT throws out and it doesn't sound like you, you are going to lose your clients really, really quickly because the studio down the street is able to message better than you. That is not the position that I want for you. Okay, so take, if you are using ChatGPT, fabulous, I love it, it's a great time saver, but make sure you are editing it heavily to make sure that it represents you and your business. We also know that, going into the next year and beyond, that, personalized marketing is going to be a bigger component of the way that we interact with our clients. That means that you're sending them messages at very specific points along the customer journey, with very specific messaging within those touch points that guides them forward and supports them in terms of staying an active and engaged client of your business. So there's a lot happening in the marketing front and I encourage you to stay up to date because, again, this is what your clients are experiencing about and from your studio when they're outside the four walls.

Speaker 1:

Now, although we know acquiring new clients is a massive priority for every studio owner that I work with, we always talk about this. We talk about this on a very regular basis inside of Thrive. I do trainings on it on a regular basis. I give resources on all the different ways you can be bringing new clients into your business. The reality is that that's not the only thing that is going to help you to grow in 2025. Because if you want revenue growth, the real magic lies in retaining clients. It's far less expensive to keep an existing client than to attract a new one, but we also know that clients often like to jump around from one studio to the next, so keeping them as engaged in your business as possible is going to be really, really critical.

Speaker 1:

So you want to make sure that you are actively engaging in retention efforts to help you to deepen that connection with your clients, to build that sense of community, and that you're really engaging your clients throughout the customer journey. I recently did a retention training with my studio owners inside of Thrive and I kind of got a little excited of different ways that you could make their experience a little bit better, refining that client experience and making sure that you are as interactive and as engaging as possible. I think maybe I went a little overboard with all of the different ways that they could do that, but they will be set up well for 2025 when it comes to retention, because, truly, we need to not just be replacing the clients that were lost, but you want to make sure your retention is as strong as possible at every stage of the customer journey. And one of the ways that you do that is to develop a really strong sense of community and belonging within your studio, because if we see any huge trend come out of the last three to four years and maybe before that, but mostly, I would say it's really become so apparent, which is the sense that a boutique fitness studio is not just a gym. It's not just a place to go to exercise and plug in your headphones and ignore everyone else, like what we used to do way back in the day when we used to all be members of those big box gyms. No, now we go to a studio with friends. Now it's something that we do together. It's a place where we go to meet people and, to be honest, the more you can cultivate that sense of community within your studio, the stronger your client base will be as a result. And so your client. You want to make sure that you are encouraging your clients to interact and engage with each other, that you're supporting and fostering that sense of community and belonging. And one of the amazing, I should say, secondary ripple effects of having that strong community is that your clients start talking to their friends about your business and when they do, they become referrers to your business of their friends, who typically are really great people just like your clients, and then they also sort of transition and transform into becoming advocates of your business, advocates of your studio, and then they also sort of transition and transform into becoming advocates of your business, advocates of your studio. They love what you're doing, they love being there. Then their friends start coming and they love it even more, because who doesn't want to hang out with their friends even more often, right? So that sense of community is really, really important, and I think it's one of the most beautiful things that you can do for your community, for your clients, is to cultivate that and create that sense of connection amongst your clients.

Speaker 1:

So let's next really quickly touch on what other trends do we see shaping 2025 and beyond? Well, I just recently went to a wellness conference and it's incredible to see how much the entire industry has evolved and just how much interest and investment there is in the wellness sector. So perhaps in the past it was mostly about supplements. What we're seeing now is that it is transitioning to being increasingly about treatments, and some of them will require a prescription. So if GLP-1s are something we obviously have watched and seen grow and come into our world, I'm not seeing that's having a tremendous impact on boutique fitness at all. However, that could change going into 2025. And if you are finding that this is something that your clients are interested in, then you want to make sure that you are again adapting to the needs of your clients.

Speaker 1:

But what I am seeing a tremendous amount of interest in from a lot of the boutique fitness studio owners clients that I work with is in other recovery treatments, is in other recovery treatments. So I'm talking things like cold plunges and contrast therapies and red light therapy and, oh my gosh, all the different ways that you can help your body to recover and stay energized, and I'm seeing this trend becoming even stronger as we head into next year and beyond. So I'm just going to plant the seed for you guys right now, because you might not be ready to do anything with that, and that's fine, but I want you to be aware of it, and I want you to be aware of it within your community, because at some point there might be something that you could be doing in that world, maybe not within your studio, but in terms of collaborations with other wellness professionals, and this is also where I see a tremendous amount of opportunities for you in your business. I'm seeing a lot of studios collaborate with other wellness practitioners to offer, say, sound baths or nutrition workshops or women's wellness experts coming in to talk about as sort of workshops as well. These are things that are add-ons to your existing offerings, that can again cultivate that sense of community but also be a revenue generator for your business as well. So not only does this add a tremendous amount of value to your business, but also positions you really really nicely as a wellness hub, a go-to place for information and expertise. So there you have it a few insights from me on how to think about what and what to think about as you head into 2025. And I have to say I think it is all about opportunity for your business If you are willing to evolve and adapt and get really strategic about your growth. I think 2025 is going to be the year so how you can optimize retention, build a strong community, look for ways to collaborate and grow your footprint and your visibility and it doesn't necessarily just have to mean adding another location. It's about finding what works for you and your clients. Now, as you start to think about 2025, let's not forget about all that you have achieved this year. So take time to reflect on what you've accomplished this year and get really, really clear on what it was that you most enjoyed about your biggest achievements from 2024. And as you go into 2025, bring some of that with you as well.

Speaker 1:

Okay, so I love sharing this with you. I love to talk about big picture industry growth. So, if you loved today's episode as well, I'd love to hear from you. I want to know what is on the cards for you for 2025. Send me a quick DM, send me a message on Instagram, send me a quick note and email. I want to know. I want you to tell me what you're working on, because maybe, just maybe, I will be able to put together a podcast episode that might help you get there just a little bit quicker. So, until next time, keep on doing what you love, keep spreading the good movement, and I'll talk to you soon. Did you love this episode and want more? Head to spring3.com and check out my free resources that will help you run a profitable and fulfilling studio business. And, before you go, one last reminder there is no one way to do what you do, only your way. So, whatever it is that you want to do, create or offer, you've got this. Thanks again for joining me today and have a wonderful rest of your day.