Self Esteem Brands Breaks Growth Records as Anytime Fitness, Basecamp Expand
Among its successes, Anytime Fitness has seen strong growth in same-store sales across franchise locations and bookings for group training
Self Esteem Brands, the parent company of Anytime Fitness among other brands, has announced Q2 2023 results demonstrating continued growth, global footprint expansion and solid franchisee performance. The growth comes as Self Esteem Brands has lofty plans to open 10,000 fitness, health and wellness clubs worldwide by 2030.
“We continue to see major whitespace growth opportunities for all of our franchise brands, both domestically and worldwide,” said Self Esteem Brands co-founder and CEO Chuck Runyon. “Our performance at midyear shows this, and we are moving with intention and purpose to expand our services to help millions more people on their personal health and wellness journeys while we help cultivate successful franchise owners.”
The company reports that the first half of this year has been a “record breaker” for Anytime Fitness, with same-store sales across franchise locations 10% higher than the first half of 2022. Self Esteem Brands notes that at the close of Q2, 60% of domestic Anytime Fitness members shared health data via the AF SmartCoaching technology platform that launched in Q1.
As group fitness has gained steam in the industry as of late, Anytime Fitness has seen bookings for group training reaching an all-time high in Q2, with a 400% increase compared to Q1 of this year. As for its global expansion, Self Esteem Brands recently introduced Anytime France as its newest Anytime Fitness master franchisee, capitalizing on the recovering fitness market in France. With the addition of France, Self Esteem Brands now has Anytime Fitness clubs operating in over 40 countries and territories.
Basecamp Fitness, which has nearly 70 franchises sold in the U.S., is in a high-growth phase and is now the first studio brand to offer franchising outside of the U.S. Studio locations saw a 20% increase in registrations over 2022 for its annual summer challenge, which sees Basecamp members nationwide competing for prizes. Additional Basecamp Fitness studios will open this year in new markets such as Orlando, Jacksonville, San Diego, Kansas City and Edgewater, N.J.
As it looks ahead, Self Esteem Brands is opening its first Sumhiit Fitness location this fall in Sydney, Australia. The twin brand of Basecamp Fitness, available for franchising, is part of Self Esteem Brands’ global growth strategy. It’s also a brand addition that David Mortensen, Self Esteem Brand’s co-founder and president, says signals the company’s push to meet the growing demand for a holistic lifestyle. The 35-minute group fitness workout offers 50 minutes worth of intense calorie-burning cardio using an air bike and strength training, a concept the fitness brand says is validated by researchers and exercise physiologists at UCLA.
Last month, Self Esteem Brands introduced Basecamp Fitness and Waxing the City to the Las Vegas strip, adding three fitness studios and one waxing location to Sin City’s vast offerings as it integrates brands for an interconnected wellness experience. Waxing the City has sold 71 new locations across the U.S. and is forecasted to open 30 more studios by the end of the year.
The parent company also reports that The Bar Method will soon surpass its pre-COVID unit-level benchmark and has recently launched new formats, Bar Method Cardio and Bar Strength, to keep clients engaged.
