Club pilates entersuk market with two london sites

The world’s largest pilates chain, Club Pilates, has entered the UK market with the launch of two studios in London.

The two sites, located at Bankside and Fulham Broadway, opened on 26 January and are part of a long-term ambition to launch between 50 and 75 UK Club Pilates studios in the next three to five years in key cities.

Both sites will be operated by franchisee, Deblankson Fitness Group, which secured a Club Pilates master franchise deal for the UK in 2022.

Deblankson Fitness Group was founded by Richard Uku, who is a multi-unit franchisee of Club Pilates and sister brand, AKT, in the United States. Both Club Pilates and AKT are owned by global wellness franchise giant, Xponential Fitness.

Uku, who grew up in the UK but moved to the US to work in finance more than 20 years ago, currently has more than six studios in New Jersey and New York.

“In the UK today, equipment-based Pilates that uses reformers and other spring-loaded apparatus is still a niche offering within the health and fitness market and there are no brands with a national presence,” Uku said.

“This creates a great opportunity for Club Pilates to establish itself and grow in the UK market in a similar way as it has done in the US market. The Deblankson Fitness Group team is very excited to have the responsibility of bringing the Club Pilates brand to the UK.”

Founded in 2007, Club Pilates offers reformer-based workouts integrating a mix of cardio, strength and interval-style training.