Club Pilates to bring 50 studios to Australia in the next 10 years

Club Pilates has announced the signing of a master franchise agreement in Australia, which will bring at least 50 new studios to the country over the next decade.

The deal was signed with two husband-and-wife duos: Brendan and Jessica James, as well as Lawrence and Sandy Boyle, all of whom are based in Queensland. Brendan will be CEO of the Australian operation with Jessica handling marketing and branding, while Lawrence and Sandy spearhead franchise sales.

“Australians love premium global brands, and to be able to offer them access to the world’s largest Pilates brand, which has successful operating systems for both franchisees and members, provides us with an amazing opportunity and a sense of pride,” said Brendan James, CEO of PilateX Pty Ltd., the master franchise partner for Club Pilates in Australia.

“We are passionate about Pilates and the incredible health benefits it produces. Our passion for Club Pilates will be translated into, what we believe, can be Australia’s most successful and well-equipped network of Pilates studios.”

Brendan was previously a Capital Markets executive with global trading company IMC Pacific, where he held senior roles in both Australia and the USA. Lawrence and Sandy have 30 years of experience in franchising, most recently as co-founders of their own 50 location franchise which they sold to retailer WHSmith.

The team has three Pilates studios in Queensland currently, operating as Live Pilates, which will be immediately rebranded to Club Pilates to give the brand a strong start in Australia and set the stage for several more studios to come in 2021.

“We are delighted to add Australia to the growing list of countries where Club Pilates is making a positive impact,” said John Kersh, chief international development officer for Xponential Fitness. “Brendan and his partners have extensive experience in Pilates and a successful track record in franchising, both of which make them a compelling force as Club Pilates begins its expansion in Australia. We look forward to their rapid development of this exciting market.”

Since its international debut to Canada in 2018, Club Pilates has continued to grow overseas and recently signed a similar 50-unit deal in Spain. The brand also has sites in Saudi Arabia, Japan, and South Korea, and has developments in place for Germany, Singapore, and the Dominican Republic.