Self Esteem Brands Sees Revenue, Franchise Growth in ’23

The parent company of Anytime Fitness is also expanding internationally, with deals in France, Austria and Australia, and potentially more

Anytime Fitness owner Self Esteem Brands (SEB), a portfolio of fitness and personal care franchises, has closed out a solid 2023 with system-wide revenues up 12.3% compared to 2022. Combined franchise sales also grew by more than 500 units, which included 284 new non-U.S. locations.

The Minnesota-based company’s portfolio includes Basecamp Fitness, Sumhiit Fitness, The Bar Method and Waxing the City.

“Franchising is a proven model that empowers franchisees to be in business for themselves – but not by themselves – and receive the ongoing support from the franchisor,” said Dave Mortensen, president at Self Esteem Brands. “We are encouraged by the 2023 growth across our portfolio of brands and system and see strong gains to be made both in the U.S. and in new countries and regions worldwide.”

Apple’s Favorite Fitness Brand

Anytime Fitness, the rockstar brand of the SEB portfolio, inked a deal last fall with Apple Fitness+ so its U.S. and Canada-based members can access an Apple Fitness+ subscription as part of their membership.

Not only does the partnership with the tech giant support Anytime Fitness members , it also gives the fitness brand bragging rights for landing the first-ever collaboration Apple has had with a gym or health club. The fitness franchise has grown to over 5,000 locations and in 2023, saw a 6.7% year-over-year increase in coaching and personal training services.

International Expansion & More

Basecamp Fitness, a high-intensity interval training (HIIT) studio concept, is in “growth mode,” and plans to expand globally this year with its signature brand in the U.S. and the Sumhiit Fitness brand overseas. Self Esteem Brands recently introduced the intense 35-minute interval training concept Sumhiit Fitness to Sydney, Australia, and will soon open two locations in Singapore.

Continuing on the international front, Anytime Fitness made headway in France and Austria, signing master franchise agreements in those countries.

The Bar Method, SEB’s barre brand, grew to 1.6 million class attendees last year, 14% higher than in 2022, and will announce its international franchise expansion in Q1 of this year.

As the company makes further advances in 2024, Stacy Anderson, Anytime Fitness global brand president, indicated that more is in the pipeline as SEB continues to stay ahead of the fitness and wellness trends.

“We’re working on training programming that’s expanded to different populations. We’re working on recovery programming. We’re even getting into the mental health side of things, knowing that so much of your health has to do with your headspace and where you’re at there,” Anderson said. “I think as we go forward, you’re going to see a lot more partnerships.”

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