OPERATOR PERSPECTIVE
BLOK LONDON
If you can foster community and create a strong brand, the premium pricing of boutique does work, says BLOK co-founder Ed Stanbury
What are you seeing in the London market? Gradually over the last few years, and accelerated by the pandemic, we’ve seen a shift in thinking across the boutique market, with more and more businesses and individuals embracing the ethos that BLOK was always founded on: that fitness and wellness should be about more than just burning calories. Since our launch in 2016, we’ve taken a 360° approach to fitness and wellness. The 24 class formats on our timetable span a wide range of mental and physical health, including rest and recovery classes such as breathwork, sound baths and yin yoga. This is now becoming a trend across the industry: you know it’s catching on when even bootcamp operators start introducing meditation sessions. We’re also seeing a lot of
boutique operators introducing additional disciplines, even when the clue to their expertise lies in their name. We’re different in that we’ve done this from the outset, and we’ve attracted non-traditional gym-goers who want to find a safe, supportive home and routine all in one place. How has BLOK London changed since COVID? Before COVID, our focus was on physical expansion. We have four sites now, including one in Manchester, but had it not been for the pandemic, our original pipeline would have seen us opening our 14th site around now. We launched BLOK TV during the pandemic. This was something we were already planning, but it was accelerated by COVID and we’re still seeing strong demand – mostly from those who also come to our studios.
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LONDON BOUTIQUE STUDIO REPORT 2023
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