BOOM: MULO Gyms and Wellness Studios are Healthy

As the population ages and people become more concerned about their appearance and longevity, MULO (multi-location) fitness options are bulking up!

According to Athletech News, Vasa Fitness just added some heavyweights to its executive team and is planning to add more locations to its brand (which already has 57 units). This gym falls into the category of HVLP (high value, low price). Other brands in that sector include Crunch, Planet Fitness, Chuze Fitness, Retro Fitness, and EoS Fitness.

Consumers who are concerned about their economic well-being and their physical health can now take advantage of a wide range of fully equipped gyms at prices that don’t blow their budgets.

Other categories in the wellness space include MULO massage brands (like Massage Envy, Hand & Stone, Elements, and the recently launched Squeeze, from the founders of Dry Bar).

IV centers are also emerging in the MULO landscape. And, of course, we’ve all become familiar with walk-in clinics run by major healthcare brands. Drug stores have become destinations for vaccines, although the big-box chains have been closing stores lately.

But let’s get back to physical fitness…

As gyms and other health-related businesses scale, related services are popping up to give consumers more convenience and ways to work out.

• Booking apps abound, and many gyms have their own proprietary technologies and scheduling systems. Many have followed the example of retailers and restaurants and offer loyalty points for gym check-ins and other behaviors.
• ClassPass enables gym-goers to try out different locations and exercise modalities.
• Live streaming classes encourage people to exercise even when not at the gym.
• Wearable technologies help people track their progress, heart rate, and sleep patterns.
• Apps enable fitness-oriented consumers to track calories and macros, and many brands ensure that their foods are listed on these apps to drive traffic and purchases.
• Smart equipment within gyms encourages people to keep on top of their progress.
• Of course, at-home games help consumers burn calories as they use their VR devices and TV screens to dance, box, and otherwise move around.

The fitness industry is valued at $87 billion, and 20 percent of the population has a gym membership. The category is expected to grow. From high-end luxury gyms like Equinox to the fast-scaling HVLP category, these MULO businesses offer ways to shape up, slim down, and even socialize and work. (Some gyms have installed business centers within their facilities to offer an all-in-one experience to remote workers and entrepreneurs).

For more insights into fast-scaling MULO categories and the technologies that support them, please join us at Street Fight LIVE on November 7th in Chicago. (We assure you we’ll give you time to stretch between sessions!)