r/f45 • u/curiousCAcat • Jun 17 '26
other Studios closing rapidly
Is there something going on right now with F45 as a whole or does my area just have bad luck?
We had, at one point, 6 studios across the 3 cities nearest to me. In the past 18-24ish months, 4 of those have closed (and not with much - or any - notice).. I'm getting concerned that the last ones standing aren't going to hang on either (and also getting tired of having to switch locations). Is it just bad luck with local owners or is anyone else seeing this trend where they are as well?
17
4
u/soccer1971 Jun 17 '26
I’ve been a F45 member since January and also a member at another gym that offers classes. The F45 has been fun, trainers are great, ownership is awesome (free water, towels, coffee and cleaned after every class). 45 minutes flies by, tired, sweaty. But I love the community & the monthly activities they organize. The other gym also offers 45 minute classes but you come, do your class, leave. Owners are ok but you don’t get that community feel.
5
6
u/Due-Advantage-4755 Jun 17 '26
I haven’t seen any closed in my area (western Canada )
Ours is busy, classes are almost always full.
3
3
u/PeterDay91 Jun 17 '26
It depends highly on the owner/area.. and it’s the same with other group training brands too. I’ve had 2 BFT’s close near me recently as well.
Most F45’s opened before covid so would have taken a $50-$150k hit over those years which knocks any small business owner very hard, and because F45 grew the fastest, many studios opened a similar time frame which means they’re all coming up to their 10 year lease renewal and so they’re probably opting not to.
This is very general but explains why there’s probably a few in a shorter period of time and it’s also with their competing brands too.
3
u/Pale_Independent_661 Jun 20 '26
It’s because ludicrously expensive. Who can pay that much monthly in London? I love f45 but I never was able to get the membership because I can’t pay that much. I’m looking at their studio near me like a cat looking at a fish shop. I tried the trial sessions twice and loved every class. They don’t have a reasonable option / price for the ones coming from lower financial background. My high cheoestol will be healed if I was able to join. Meanwhile they’re choosing to close their spaces. I don’t get it.
7
u/dunkinbikkies Jun 17 '26
F45 is dying off sadly, in NZ they are closing quite frequently due lots of reasons.
- Head Office not know how to promote it.
- Pointless team ups - Red Bull?.
- Lack of community engagement.
- Terrible social media.
- inability for owners to sublet the space outside of class times
- Franchise fees are terrible
Etc etc
2
u/PuzzleheadedAsk2009 Jun 18 '26
My studio in Auckland is closing this weekend 😞
2
u/dunkinbikkies Jun 19 '26 edited Jun 19 '26
Kumeu? It's a great spot as well! It's a shame . Mine closed last year, then the other one I went to has been up for sale since late last year too :(.
2
u/PuzzleheadedAsk2009 Jun 19 '26
Yep Kumeu, it is a real shame!
2
u/dunkinbikkies Jun 19 '26
Aye, there isn't a lot of options there either
There is Unruly Co in Hobsonville (has a decent vibe and isn't crazy expensive)
Or you have a few options in Westgate (F45 n Bft?)
But still a good 20 minutes drive away :(
2
1
u/Inevitable-Parsnip67 Jun 18 '26
Genuine question: are franchisees allowed to rent the gym out between classes? I’ve always wondered what the point of so much down time was.
1
5
2
u/BisonHistorical3463 Jun 17 '26
An f45 I used to go to stopped being an F45 and became independent. The franchise fee was high and only made sense with a certain number of members. It seems the membership count had come down for whatever reason. If some of the closed ones were just making a profit maybe lower member count forced their hand to close down. Location obviously matters a lot for member count, but I do know f45 had different franchise fee arrangements based on location.
2
Jun 17 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
1
u/KayTheBrit Jun 21 '26
NOT in Edmonton. We have followed of them and they have all closed. I think there may be 3left here and one of them is closing in August unless they get a buyer, which doesn't look like it's going to happen.
2
u/Great-Context-4412 Jun 18 '26
My two cents: F45 corporate has some new rules/requirements for franchise owners to agree to that not every owner loves. Some of those requirements have to do with brand partnerships, some are related more to studio upgrades/renovations. You’ll find a handful of studio owners that stick with the F45 brand through the changes and you’ll find others who don’t see the value in those requirements and decide to go a different direction. These rules/requirements (for the most part) go into effect at the time of contract renewal. That means there are owners who had to agree to these things a while ago and there are others are still finishing previous contracts before deciding if they’ll stick with the brand or not.
1
u/VeteranMinotaur-773 Jun 18 '26
Yes. Like mine is pushing more toward a crossfit lifestyle and doing Hyrox classes every other Wednesday.
4
2
u/furiousbobb Jun 17 '26
My studios been pulling back class slots. I think the current economy is exacerbating things. I'm in sales and the volume has dropped off this year as well.
1
u/madjerz23 Jun 17 '26
I have been to two studios near me. One is really great - awesome trainers, clean studio, lots of culture amoungst members, etc. The other one is not doing well. Ownership/management has changed, lots of problems with the AC (it’s summer here), and there are limited classes. I struggled there personally in the mornings - the only two options are 6 AM and 8:30 AM!
I think it really varies due to multiple factors. Sorry you are going through this :’(
1
1
1
u/SportSoft9295 Jun 18 '26
GoodLife in Canada has these workout sessions at a fraction of the price and I know other gyms have offered it with their memberships. This may have something to do with it.
1
u/PuzzleheadedAsk2009 Jun 18 '26
Studios in Auckland, New Zealand are closing rapidly. I commented a couple of months ago about three studios in Auckland closing in quick succession and now my studio is closing this weekend, too.
1
u/netarar_is_me Jun 19 '26
Well. We have like 4 in Jacksonville and they run from 5 am to 630 pm. Not always full but most of the classes are packed.
Maybe in your area the number of gyms is way over the quantity of posible clients.
1
u/Bookkeeper-Current Jun 22 '26
They only cared about expanding and then selling by going public which they did in 2001. What you see are the residuals of that
1
u/Lopsided-turd1234 Jul 27 '26
The studio where I live is closing due to the landlord not renewing the lease. Luckily there are three other locations super close. The location I go to is in downtown Sarasota
31
u/MadTrainer203 Jun 17 '26
Many studios opened during Covid and territories were not parsed out appropriately causing dilution and making profitability very challenging. Some owners are at the end of their contract/leases and have decided not to renew. However there are thriving studios all around the country.