One trick ponies don’t win in fitness

The fitness industry is no longer split into “gyms” and “brands.” The walls are crumbling. Studios are launching supplement lines. Protein companies are running live events. Apparel brands are dropping collabs with trainers. Digital and physical touchpoints are merging into one fitness ecosystem.

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Consumers expect it. People don’t just want a workout. They want the lifestyle around it. That means training, nutrition, recovery, gear, community. Whoever can give them more of those pieces in one place will win their loyalty.

Running in a single lane is now more risky than ever. Gyms that only sell memberships are leaving huge money on the table. Your members already trust your training but if they’re buying their protein from MyProtein, their leggings from Lululemon, and their recovery gear from Amazon, you’re handing your influence (and revenue) to someone else.

On the flip side, e-commerce brands are facing the opposite problem. Yes, they can scale sales online, but they’re missing the intimacy. A customer who buys protein powder from you once doesn’t automatically become loyal. Without lived experiences, you’re just another product in a crowded market.

The future belongs to hybrid fitness brands. Those that blur digital and physical, product and experience.

• If you’re a gym: Your trust and daily face-time with members is gold. That gives you the perfect platform to launch supplements, merch, or even digital coaching. Done right, your members will prefer to buy from you. Because they already believe in you.
  
  
• If you’re an e-com brand: You can create stickiness by going beyond the product. Pop-ups, community runs, collabs with studios… anything that builds face-to-face connection. That transforms you from “a brand I buy from” into “a brand I belong to.

Look at Gymshark. They didn’t just sell clothes. They created events, expos, training days, and a sense of tribe. Look at Barry’s. They’re not just selling classes; they’re selling shakes, merch, and culture.

Bottom line: The brands that own multiple touchpoints will own more of the customer’s fitness journey (and more of their wallet).