Xponential Fitness President on Lindora Deal, 2024 Wellness Trends
Xponential is eyeing cross-collaborations between its fitness brands and Lindora, a chain of health clinics offering GLP-1s and wellness treatments
Xponential Fitness, the leading global boutique fitness franchisor, is entering 2024 fortified with its recently acquired eleventh brand, Lindora, a chain of metabolic health clinics offering weight-loss drugs and various wellness therapies.
A departure from its ten fitness-focused brands – Pure Barre, Club Pilates, CycleBar, YogaSix, StretchLab, Row House, AKT, Rumble Boxing, Stride Fitness and Body Fit Training – the acquisition of Lindora signals Xponential’s entrance into the surging weight-loss medication market and booming wellness sector.
Sarah Luna, president of Xponential Fitness, spoke with Athletech News about the Lindora deal and previewed what Xponential views as the major fitness and wellness trends to watch in 2024, including increased personalization, mobility training and immersive experiences.
Head Start on Metabolic Health
Xponential and luxury lifestyle operator Life Time are currently the only two major fitness brands to have invested in the weight-loss medication market, aware of the enormous power of GLP-1s that has upended the traditional diet and weight loss industry, as seen with WeightWatchers and Noom.
“A lot of it is just being in touch with what consumers want and then being able to execute on it,” Luna said of Xponential’s early investment in the sector through Lindora.
It’s that part – the execution – that Luna says gives Xponential an edge.
“We’ve really figured out the best way to leverage the franchise model as a distribution model and bring more concepts to more markets, and then be able to give customers a really great experience that allows them to have a consistent offering,” she said.
Xponential’s deal for Lindora includes all of the metabolic health clinic’s intellectual property and will see all 31 Lindora clinics (30 of which are in Southern California and one in Washington) transition into Xponential-owned locations. Xponential plans to franchise and scale the Lindora brand globally.
Fitness & Wellness Synergies
While GLP-1s can jumpstart weight loss, experts agree that incorporating fitness training is essential. Luna shares that Xponential plans to have some cross-promotion within local communities where it has fitness studios and Lindora wellness boutiques. In time, there’s also an opportunity for Lindora to bolster Xponential’s digital fitness offerings.
“We’ll be able to leverage XPass and our on-demand platform to bring some of the components of Lindora over for other brands and vice versa,” Luna said. “I think there are mindful practices and services that Lindora offers that we’ll be able to replicate in an online experience.”
The Lindora acquisition has also energized franchisees within the Xponential network for its GLP-1 services and wellness therapies, such as hormone replacement therapy and IV hydration.
“Our existing franchisees are excited about launching Lindora as they feel like it’s a perfect acquisition and perfect development within their own portfolios,” Luna shared. “We’ve had a lot of owners that are happy with their experience within the parent company and within (their) individual brand, and they want to go deeper in the partnership.”
2024 Trends: The Rise of Personalized Experiences & Mobility
As consumers become more health and wellness-focused, they’re looking for personalized fitness and wellness experiences, ranging from tailored workouts, nutrition plans and strategies to meet their needs and preferences, Luna and Xponential predict. Offering fitness and wellness personalization helps users meet their goals and increases user engagement.
“It’s no surprise that fitness and well-being are becoming holistic and a 360-approach to people’s lives so that it’s more of a lifestyle and less (about) doing fitness one hour a day or three times a week,” Luna said.
Mobility training, in particular, has seen a surge due to its movement and athletic performance-boosting capabilities. It’s an area that Xponential has tapped into with StretchLab, which opened its 400th location this fall in addition to 900-plus signed franchise agreements and studios in development across the globe.
Pure Barre also saw success this year, experiencing record-breaking sales in November, Luna noted.
“It’s seen a very strong comeback with in-studio visitations and revenues as a whole,” she said of the barre franchise.
Xponential’s Approach To Franchising
As Lindora grows its footprint, Xponential anticipates an organic overlap of complementary brands, as the franchisor mindfully places studios where its consumers are, which may result in ‘health and wellness rows’ — a growing concept across the fitness and real estate industry.
The franchise model, Luna notes, provides a “business in a box” solution for those who want to get into health and wellness and want to scale, but need some help.
“Maybe they don’t have an MBA or they don’t have all the business experience that they would need to be successful on their own,” she said. “So franchising really is the vehicle that allows them to be successful entrepreneurs, and have a supporter in Xponential.”
More To Come: Immersive Experiences & Brand Partnerships
In addition to its franchise endeavors, Xponential will continue to jump on one of 2024’s likely trends: experience-driven fitness with memorable and immersive experiences.
The brand had success this past summer with Movement Live by Michelob Ultra, linking the beer brand with Rumble Boxing for a concert-style workout with live music performances by Alesso and Loud Luxury.
“We are looking at continuing with that partnership as well as looking at other ways to do co-branded and B2B partnerships,” Luna said. “We see that as a really fun way for studios, members and new customers to engage with our brands.”
