How boutiques can compete with big gyms in 2025
In today’s fitness landscape, boutique fitness studios face the common challenge of how to stand out against the resources, real estate and reach of big-box gyms. But industry leaders have identified the solution: carve out a competitive edge by leveraging innovative training solutions and efficient use of space. Maximize every square foot “Operational capacity has never been more critical,” said Brandon Cullen, co-founder and chief concept officer, MADabolic, noting rising costs of real estate, labor, expertise, goods and materials. “This is why partners like BeaverFit are invaluable. Their entire mission is to deliver customized solutions that address the cost-per-square-foot equation.” Working together, MADabolic and BeaverFit created custom bay units that save each studio 500 to 750 square feet “without compromising the attention to detail or client experience that define MADabolic,” Cullen said. Whereas large gyms boast more space overall, that often translates to underutilized or generic areas that feel impersonal. Boutiques like MADabolic are intentionally designed – with every piece of equipment serving a purpose – leading to more connected and engaging workouts. https://youtu.be/xyf9giBLW5I?si=wa5Jx5dS_Wre6juG Streamline member experience with seamless transitions Matt Wright, chief growth officer and founding partner, Earn Your Stripes, echoed the importance of maximizing operational capacity: “There is no one size fits all when it comes to spacing. Each studio is unique and every square foot should be allocated for something.” He also emphasized the importance of a commonly overlooked component: the transitions that take place during the workout. Member experience can hinge on the smallest details – whether transitioning from station to station or from one modality to another, “it all has an impact on the overall member experience and how well your workout will be perceived,” he said. For EYS, the co-development of a custom bay unit with BeaverFit was key. Heavy bags, which at one point needed to be hung up and taken down to allow for different training segments, now slide in and out of each station with a sliding trawler arm in the center – allowing for expanded training modalities with minimal transition effort. These thoughtfully planned workout stations are in contrast to big-box gyms, where members must navigate busy floors for the equipment they need, and potentially forego sets and exercises because every machine has a line of people waiting to use it. https://youtu.be/OLfjJVyVOpc?si=dWfMjcpw-2jrhE5S Get efficient with storage Operational capacity and seamless transitions come directly into play at SPENGA as well, whose signature workout combines spin, strength training and yoga. Traditionally requiring dedicated areas for each, SPENGA recently launched a smaller footprint design which condensed the experience by 1,000 square feet. Innovative training solutions with integrated storage features allow strength and yoga segments to now take place in the same area without compromising member experience. “Our collaboration with the BeaverFit team enabled us to customize efficient strength storage solutions that enhanced this transformation,” said Roger McGreal, co-founder, SPENGA. “The smaller footprint presents significant cost savings while maintaining the incredible workout experience our members have come to love.” Unlike larger gyms which often struggle with clutter and misplaced equipment, boutiques like SPENGA thrive on creating organized, clutter-free environments that are personalized to the user. https://youtu.be/RlFnqU_KNos?si=FxI7vDcOQV_WRGmC Think outside the box – and the standard catalog For boutique studios facing rising costs and competitive pressure, customization is key. Off-the-shelf solutions may work for some, but for many, the standard catalog won’t cut it anymore. “That’s the big difference for us: we build differently,” said CJ Kostranchuk, director of key accounts, BeaverFit. “No other company is able to sit down with a customer, listen to their needs, and potentially start from scratch to create something. And I think that’s really where this industry is heading – toward being able to do things differently.” From conceptual design to manufacturing, the BeaverFit team collaborates with fitness partners to create tailored solutions that address specific challenges and drive profitability. Whether it’s transforming underutilized spaces or designing equipment to fit precise needs, BeaverFit empowers boutique studios to think differently and thrive in a competitive market. Build your vision. We’ll build the rest. Learn more about the BeaverFit custom manufacturing process. Click Here Share this… FacebookFacebook Save Twitter
BeaverFit, MADabolic push boundaries with custom training solution
“Partnering with BeaverFit just may be the most significant thing we’ve done since inception,” said Brandon Cullen, co-founder and chief concept officer of MADabolic. The BeaverFit and MADabolic partnership drove the recent creation of the BeaverFit Bay Unit, a custom training solution that will create more functional training space, provide a higher end aesthetic, save square footage and, by extension, hundreds of thousands of dollars in future real estate costs. https://vimeo.com/833473467 Solving an operational capacity issue MADabolic’s strength-driven interval training franchise approached BeaverFit looking to increase operational capacity – facing the problem of rising commercial real estate costs, they wanted to buy back square footage while maintaining the structure of their workouts and the equipment needed. “BeaverFit solved that for us,” Cullen said. “I’m blown away with the custom solutions that these guys provided us. They are legitimate problem solvers.” “The unique thing we bring to our partners is the ability and flexibility to bring their brand to life,” said CJ Kostranchuk, director of sales, BeaverFit. This is evident in the striking teal color of the BeaverFit x MADabolic units, which brings the MADabolic brand aesthetic to life in any space. Kostranchuk said MADabolic had “great visions they wanted to push the boundaries of the franchise world with” but nothing existed that met their needs. So, after specific discussions around what MADabolic needed in terms of space, design and functionality, BeaverFit created it. The Functional Bay Unit combines multiple functional training modalities and storage in a single training station, maximizing storage and exercise capability in a minimum footprint. One of the greatest advantages is the savings, Cullen explained. “To date, we’ve seen our footprint shrink by anywhere from 300 to 600 square feet. If you do some basic math. . . you’re looking at hundreds of thousands of dollars at the end of a 10-year lease. Now that I look at it this way, I don’t know why we didn’t do it earlier.” Additionally, the modular design of the bay units allows MADabolic to grow with the equipment. As they bring new elements into their programming, they’ll be able to add attachments to the Bay Units due to the way they were built. Team First approach BeaverFit USA Co-Founder Michael Taylor said from the beginning, both teams were all in. “As partners, we got ‘naked’,” he said. “MADabolic shared their exact requirements of what we needed to do so that we could truly solve the problem together as partners instead of with a wall between us.” Part of that included inviting MADabolic out to the BeaverFit USA headquarters in Reno, Nevada. “To see the sheer mass of that operation – it blew me away,” Cullen said. But as cool as all the laser cutting, painting and welding operations were, what really impressed him was the team. “BeaverFit is the absolute best team I have worked with in the fitness industry,” he said. Kostranchuk explained that teamwork is a core value at BeaverFit, both internally and with partners. The BeaverFit leadership team embraces a Team First approach, valuing people as their first and foremost priority. “One of the things we are always looking for is a partner who is able to push the boundaries – with their franchise, with their training, just in general – same thing that we do internally with bringing new products to life and to the market,” Kostranchuk said. The first MADabolic location to receive the BeaverFit Bay Units is in Austin, Texas, with dozens more scheduled to be installed later in 2023. “What’s great about this is we invested a lot of time and energy in the beginning of this design process to get it right – and now we’ll produce it at scale to support the growing franchise,” Taylor said. The Bay Unit joins the new BeaverFit Functional Training line, solutions designed specifically to fit any training space indoors or outdoors while providing multiple training modalities. With customizable branding, colors, storage and functionality, this line enables maximum storage and exercise capability. MADabolic currently has 27 locations open, and another 79 in development, putting their total unit count at 106. With the operational capacity problem solved, there’s nothing standing in the way of their ongoing, explosive growth. “We like to work with great people, and in my whole professional career I don’t know if I’ve ever met a team like BeaverFit that is willing to provide custom solutions, that is willing to listen and to actually build out exactly what you need… even if it didn’t exist before you brought the idea to them,” Cullen said. Share this… FacebookFacebook Save Twitter