Gyms Can Benefit From the Rise of Group Boxing, VSL Fighting Equipment CEO Says
VSL CEO Jim McClafferty talks to Athletech News about the popularity of boxing and his advice for fitness franchises and gyms
VSL Fighting Equipment, a full-service, one-stop shop for gyms and franchises looking for branded boxing gear and fitness accessories, has seen a resurgence in strength-based group fitness, particularly boxing.
Founded by trainer and fighter Joey Valle and Jim Lyman, VSL provides custom-branded boxing gloves for notable companies such as Equinox and RockBox.
In addition to offering a wide range of pro gloves, mitts, headgear, Hitstix and newer items such as vegan leather pro boxing gloves, punchy and colorful animal print hand wraps, and police and firefighter-inspired boxing gloves, the equipment company maintains a forward-thinking approach on how to best serve gyms and franchises.
“We’re always looking at new technologies that we can use,” said Jim McClafferty, CEO of VSL, sharing that the full-service gear company is seeing increased interest in their washable, soft-material gloves that can be placed in a washing machine and dryer.
“That’s very appealing to some of the gyms that we work with,” McClafferty said, adding that the ability to clean and provide freshly washed gloves for fitness enthusiasts has attracted several operators.
As group fitness classes and studios gain continued traction with fitness enthusiasts and the need for equipment increases, VSL has also offered to do the warehousing and fulfillment of goods for some of its customers.
After manufacturing fitness gear to a client’s specifications, VSL conducts quality control and review of the products, repackages and relabels them before shipping them to a distribution center. This level of service allows fitness franchises to focus on their businesses.
“We take that which tends not to be a core competency — the fulfillment of product manufacturer — we take that out of their hands and we take care of that because that’s our expertise,” McClafferty said. “It allows the franchise companies to focus on what it is that’s important to them – satisfying their members, making sure that the members are having a good experience and expanding the footprint and supporting their franchisees.”
McClafferty sees a missed opportunity for many fitness franchises and gyms, one that businesses shouldn’t overlook.
“There’s a large revenue stream available in addition to just the monthly membership fees that they have. It’s actual product sales,” McClafferty points out. “And when you look at boxing equipment, a lot of the gyms are adding boxing classes to the offerings that they have. There’s a huge opportunity there for additional revenue for them by selling the product to the individual members.”
McClafferty also sees a significant opportunity to provide branded gloves to businesses to expand brand awareness and visibility.
“It’s an opportunity for (fitness operators) to continue to expand the brand,” he said. “If I’m walking around with a pair of boxing gloves that say ‘Equinox’ on them, it’s more brand exposure for Equinox outside of the studio.”
As for the popularity of strength training and boxing programs, McClafferty notes that it’s exploded in the last couple of years.
“When gyms started opening up again, we saw a resurgence,” he said. “We saw people going back to the gym and I think the popularity of boxing continued to grow. So there’s a lot of people and a lot of gyms that are adding those capabilities to their gyms that they didn’t have before.”
McClafferty says that the fitness enthusiasts who participate in boxing run the gamut from moms going to the gym during the day while their kids are in school to those training to compete in charity events.
Overall, McClafferty says it’s VSL’s expertise that enables fitness businesses to be free from having to deal with manufacturers, shipping and quality control.
“We take all those hassles out of their hands so they can focus on what is really their core company and building a footprint,” he said. “(They) don’t have to worry about, you know, what happened to that batch of gloves? Is it on the shipping container? Is it stuck in customs? The thumb is not the same way on this one as it was from the last time that I bought it. We handle all that stuff for them. When it comes in, they get their products on time in pristine condition and they can focus on what they need to focus on.”
