Why Successful Pilates Franchises Abroad Struggle in the UK Market
As a Pilates business consultant, investors trust me to provide accurate, unvarnished truths, even if they are uncomfortable. One of these truths is that proven and successful Pilates franchises, thriving in markets like Australia and the United States, face significant challenges when trying to establish themselves in the UK. What works elsewhere does not always translate, and the unique nature of the UK wellness market is something foreign franchisors consistently fail to fully understand.
The UK Wellness Market Is Not Australia or the USA
The UK Pilates market has evolved into a mature, wellness-focused industry. Its clients are looking for sustainable health benefits over the long term—improved posture, flexibility, and relief from chronic conditions—not quick-fix fitness results. In stark contrast, markets such as Australia and the USA have embraced Pilates in a far more fitness-driven way, targeting high-intensity workouts and aesthetics-focused results. Studios like this do exist in the UK, we call them fitness reformer studios, but they are not serving the Pilates or Wellness markets they are serving a completely different demographic in the Fitness market.
For franchises born in these environments, entering the UK requires a fundamental shift in perspective. Pilates is not just another fitness trend here, it is a recognised wellness practice that demands expert instruction, personalisation, and time to deliver real change.
When franchises like Studio Pilates, Strong Pilates and even to a certain extent Club Pilates attempt to import their business models directly, they often misread the expectations of the UK client base.
The Instructor Problem: A Shortage of Qualified Talent
A major stumbling block for Pilates franchises in the UK is the acute shortage of equipment-trained Pilates instructors. Unlike in Australia where there is a plethora of rapidly trained Pilates Reformer instructors, and the USA, where larger numbers of apparatus-trained instructors are available than studios to employ them, the UK does not yet have the same pipeline of readily available talent.
Franchises like USA Club Pilates, which rely on higher-quality Pilates instructors than AU Studio & Strong Pilates, face a need for significant time and financial investment to train staff to the required standard; then comes the Catch 22 Well-trained Pilates instructors in the UK often realise their worth and prefer to run their own independent businesses rather than work within the limitations of a franchise.
Meanwhile, franchises like Studio Pilates attempt to sidestep this issue by relying on screen-led instruction with lower-cost supervisors. While this may make financial sense for the franchisor, it comes at a cost to client experience and long-term retention—something the UK wellness market is quick to reject. Strong Pilates doesn’t in reality do much more than pay Pilates Lipservice in the franchise name – there are so few scheduled Pilates classes in the timetable with the bulk of programming unapologetically high-intensity fitness.
Location, Location, Location: A Critical Misstep
In my experience, one of the single most important factors in the success of a boutique studio, whether independent or franchised, is its location. This is something that franchises often get wrong as they expand beyond their home markets. Franchises like Club Pilates originally succeeded by being extremely selective about their locations, placing studios in affluent suburban areas with demographics that could support their pricing model. As they scaled, however, this discipline began to slip, and mistakes in site selection became more common—eroding profitability for newer franchisees.
In the UK, property costs are higher, leases are more complex, and location missteps are far more difficult to recover from. A poorly chosen site—even just a few miles away from the target demographic—can mean the difference between a thriving studio and an empty one.
This lesson is not new. I saw it in my own experience: my first health club managerial position in the 1980s in North Oxford had waiting lists for classes, while my first owned studio just a few miles up the road at Oxford Airport struggled because the demographics didn’t align. A franchise model that does not account for this nuance will struggle to achieve sustainable success in the UK.
Marketing Misalignment: The UK Does Not Operate Like the USA
Franchises that rely on marketing strategies successful in their home countries often find these methods fall flat in the UK. For example:
In the USA, Localised TV advertising, local radio, and large-scale campaigns are the norm.
In the UK, these strategies are far less effective. We are a market driven by digital-first, localised marketing featuring social media, word of mouth, and community engagement.
The challenge for UK franchisees is that much of this marketing must be done locally, yet they are often paying fees for national strategies that add little value. Independents, by contrast, can engage their communities directly and adapt their marketing to meet local demand, without surrendering a percentage of turnover to a franchisor.
A Question of Value: What Are You Really Paying For?
Ultimately, UK investors must ask: What does a franchise offer that an independent studio cannot?
Operational systems? These are often off-the-shelf tools available to anyone.
Marketing expertise? In the UK, localised social media campaigns can be executed just as effectively by independents.
Brand recognition? Outside of their home markets, most Pilates franchises have limited visibility and no built-in client loyalty.
For the fees involved, often 8-10% of turnover, a 2-3% direct marketing fee on top plus a large initial franchise lump sum before capital upfront costs; it’s hard to see a compelling advantage for the franchisee. In the Pilates market, where long-term relationships and client trust are paramount, an independent studio can offer the same or a more bespoke product with far greater flexibility, control, and profitability.
A Reality Check for Foreign Franchises
The UK is not a market for cookie-cutter Pilates franchises. Success here requires:
· A deep understanding of the wellness-driven client base.
· Solutions to the instructor shortage, not shortcuts like screen-led instruction.
· Discipline in site selection and an appreciation for the nuances of UK property markets.
· Localised marketing that connects directly with communities.
Foreign franchises entering the UK must be willing to adapt to these realities. Without that, they risk being seen for what they are: a poor imitation of the real thing.
For investors and Pilates professionals alike, the question remains: Why pay for a franchise when an independent studio can deliver everything the UK market wants, without the constraints and costs of a foreign model?
Next in this Pilates Franchise based Series
If you’re considering a Pilates franchise or exploring independent studio ownership, don’t miss the next blogs in this series:
1. Why UK Investors Struggle to See Value in Foreign Franchise Models.
2. Pilates Reformer in Fitness vs. Wellness – A Tale of Two Markets.
If you’d like expert advice on starting or evaluating a Pilates business in the UK or Middle East markets, feel free to contact me directly. With over 25 years in the industry, I provide honest, practical guidance to help you make the right decisions for long-term success.
Author: Chris Onslow - Pilates Consultant
Chris Onslow, has run Pilates focussed businesses since 1998. He and his team specialise in supporting Pilates entrepreneurs and business owners. With a rich history of owning and running successful Pilates studios in the UK, and supporting others in Europe and the Middle East, Chris has broad expertise in maximising profitability and optimising operational efficiency. His agency provides top-tier advice on selecting new, pre-owned, and hireable Pilates equipment from renowned brands such as Align-Pilates, Balanced Body or Stott-Pilates/Merrithew. As the founder of Mbodies Training Academy, Chris continues to revolutionise Pilates education, offering premier online and hybrid CPD and qualification courses for Pilates apparatus instruction and special population CPD. Discover more about how Chris can support your Pilates Business or home exercise choices at www.pilates-consultant.co.uk