Nike’s entry into boutique fitness: the launch of Nike Studios
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Nike has officially entered the boutique fitness space, launching “Nike Studios.” This facility caters to “a new generation of group fitness for every body and every goal.”
What does this mean for you? Let’s deep dive.
The new value of boutique fitness studios
Why would an enormous brand like Nike suddenly enter boutique fitness, a notoriously saturated and volatile market?
If you look at what regular people are doing these days, you’ll notice the trend is moving away from the traditional big-box gym experience. People are looking for specialized fitness, and they want it to offer something beyond the big-box experience. They’re looking for a niche, curated workout. They don’t want going to the gym to feel like going to the supermarket.
Nike knows this. They also know big box gyms are hitting their lowest point. Peloton slashed their workforce this week; Bloomberg reported that Xponential will likely have their slowest quarter yet, and Plant Fitness will have its second worst since 2021.
If you’re involved in running a boutique fitness studio or franchise, Nike’s move into this space should be seen as a threat. Big players with big resources are muscling in to grab market share, and there’s not much to go around.
The upside is that big names are recognizing the potential of this space. And you’re already in it.
The future of fitness studios is community-based
When you read through the plan for Nike Studios, it becomes clear that they’re banking on the huge trend toward community-based fitness. With social fitness events, an emphasis on group fitness, an app to help build connected communities, and group challenges, Nike is going all out for group engagement.
This is the pull of boutique fitness centers. Gym-goers are looking for engaged community more than ever.
Nike studios will not have open gym access, but instead are “designed around the incredible power of group training.”
Using omnichannel fitness experiences to stay ahead of the competition
Nike Studios will offer in-person studio workouts, as well as an app for at-home workouts. Since the pandemic, the fitness industry has been forced to catch up to what retail already knew: modern societies need their services to be seamless between in-person and at home.
Nike is moving beyond even those classic offerings, with their website claiming:
“Our giant NRS Pack Screen allows you to compete in immersive solo and group challenges designed to make running your favorite part of the day.”
Challenges are taking the world by storm and Nike hasn’t missed it.
That’s exactly why we designed the challenge feature - a beautiful, clean, modern and intuitive app for your members to sign up to and track any challenge.
The challenge app feature has been introduced into Hapana’s offering, and trialed with amazing results.
Hapana’s challenge app is designed with both the studio and its members in mind, offering straightforward billing, insightful metrics, and an attractive design to enhance the user experience.
Fitness challenges were the sole driving force behind F45’s rapid industry domination. Studios like STRONG Pilates created a brand-new revenue stream by adding fitness challenges. Many charities use fitness challenges to create yearly fundraising events. For example, Cancer Council has found huge success running The March Charge - a yearly challenge to push your fitness limits in March alongside the rest of the community. You could argue that marathons are a fitness challenge, and their enduring popularity tells you everything you need to know. Fitness challenges continue to go viral on social media, with challenges like 75 Hard racking up billions of views.
Fitness challenges have become one of the highest tools for community engagement in the twenty-first century.
Nike’s boutique fitness workout design
Nike Studios offers two main types of group fitness workouts:
Nike Training Studio (NTS) Classes
These are high-intensity interval training (HIIT) and strength workouts that utilize equipment such as weights, kettlebells, sleds, sandbags, etc.
The classes rotate through different workout types focused on specific goals:
- Force: Strength training with hinging and pushing movements like deadlifts, shoulder presses, push-ups, and hip thrusters.
- Max: Challenging mix of squats, pulling movements like rows and pull-ups, and conditioning work.
- Metcon: Full-body metabolic conditioning with jumps, swings, rotations, agility drills.
- Just Do It Sunday: Dynamic, full-body conditioning, strength, and power workouts that change weekly.
Nike Running Studio (NRS) Classes:
These workouts are split between treadmill running and floor exercises targeting strength, balance, and mobility for runners.
The classes rotate through different running-focused types:
- Sprint: Short, high-intensity intervals to boost acceleration, power, and speed.
- Capacity: Medium-duration blocks and repeats to improve anaerobic threshold.
- Endurance: Extended intervals, speeds, and inclines to build endurance for longer distances.
The workouts are designed to cater to all fitness levels, and members can go at their own pace, whether training for competitions or just starting a fitness journey.
How Hapana can keep your studio competitive
The launch of Nike Studios means that boutique fitness CEOs will need to move quickly to stay ahead of the curve. They’ll need to innovate in specific categories - towards community, towards omnichannel fitness, and towards fitness challenges.
Hapana’s challenge app feature can help retain members while attracting new ones who are looking for that extra something in their fitness routine. It contributes to a vibrant, thriving community, and places you far ahead of your competition - because this is the only innovation of its kind out there.
By bringing the Hapana challenge feature into your studio, you’re not just keeping up with the trends; you’re setting them.