Ritual Gym stays true to bespoke roots even as it opens far-flung franchises
SINGAPORE — Singapore-based boutique gym chain Ritual prides itself in customising its high-intensity interval training (HIIT) programmes to every member’s personal needs. And it does it down to the minutest details – work schedule, physical capabilities, even conveniences such as offering gym attire in its studios.
When it comes to running its business, however, Ritual has a different attitude: Go big, or go home.
Not only has it grown its Singapore studios from its original Boat Quay branch to three locations in a space of six years, but it is also franchising its gym concept overseas – to far-flung places like Sao Paulo in Brazil, Johannesburg in South Africa, Madrid in Spain and, most recently, Santa Monica in the United States.
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“We want to expand our franchise to places where people ‘get it’ – they quickly understand and buy into how our concept will work for them,” Brad Robinson, co-founder and chief executive officer of Ritual, told Yahoo Lifestyle Singapore.
“It doesn’t matter where the places are; all of our franchisees are either current or former clients who saw the potential and love the brand.
“When we launched our first overseas franchise in Sao Paulo, we were so nervous then. But when we went there, we saw the customers really pumped up, taking in the instructions in Portuguese and working out in Portuguese music. That’s when we thought that, yes, we were right with our instincts.”
“That was really a teary-eye moment for both of us,” added Ritual co-founder and chief operating officer Ian Tan.
“It really lit a fire within us. Every branch that opened after that, like our recent California branch, it was the same reactions.”
Genesis in Tiong Bahru
It has been a fascinating journey for Ritual, which had its roots from Tan’s personal training studio in Tiong Bahru in 2012. Robinson, who joined the studio to lose weight, was astounded by his success with HIIT training regime conducted by Tan, and the duo hit upon the idea of customising this training to the masses.
The first Ritual gym began at Boat Quay in 2013, just as HIIT was beginning to hit the masses and finding popularity among working professionals eager to maximise the efficiency of their gym workouts.
Ritual lets its members book 30-minute sessions at any time of the day, so that they can fit it amid their busy work lives. Its instructors come up with training regimes tailored to each member’s needs – whether it is to lose weight, gain muscle mass or regain fitness.
One branch became three in Singapore, with additional branches in Holland Village and Robinson Road by 2017. But before Ritual took the plunge into franchising its concept overseas, Robinson insisted on making sure the company is as well-prepared as possible to expand into a global brand.
Using his past experience as a start-up entrepreneur, he first hired a consultancy company to size up Ritual’s business concept. It came back with an affirmative outlook to their franchising plans.
“It was when we decided to aim for the top level of this industry,” Robinson recalled. “We decided to try and build a business that will eventually be entrenched in the fabric of fitness, and not be a brand that is only in the industry for the short term.”
Scaling up business concept
Still, they decided not to rush into overseas expansion. Instead, they worked on scaling up their business concept: Tan focused on coming up with an online training manual for Ritual instructors, while Robinson set forth to apply trademarks to the company’s logos and inventories.
“We tried to be as ready as possible; we didn’t want to be in a situation where we are fixing things as we grow,” Robinson explained.
With HIIT and boutique gyms enjoying a boom in recent years, Ritual was well-placed to capitalise on this fitness wave, and its aim of being “the most efficient gym in the world” caught on among people who want the best possible results in a most convenient training schedule.
As it continues its overseas expansion, Ritual is also extending its local reach. It has recently moved to a bigger office in Bukit Pasoh, while it plans to open two more outlets in Singapore this year.
While it continues to grow its client base, both Tan and Robinson are adamant that they will not lose sight of the main purpose of the gym they created.
“We want every customer that walks into our gym to believe that the next 30 minutes will be the best 30 minutes of the day,” Tan said.
“It is about wanting to help people and make their lives better.”
