Xponential Fitness, a global franchisor of boutique fitness brands based in California, has signed a master franchise agreement in Japan for the indoor cycling brand CycleBar. The deal, signed with Xponential’s master franchisee for Club Pilates in Japan, allows the new master franchisee to license at least 30 CycleBar studios in Japan over the next ten years. It follows recent announcements of new master franchise agreements by Xponential Fitness for the UK and Mexico. With the opening of CycleBar studios in Japan (expected for 2023), the company expands its international footprint outside of North America to three countries, following master franchise agreements in Australia and New Zealand. Xponential fitness owns the brands Club Pilates, CycleBar, StretchLab, Row House, AKT, YogaSix, Pure Barre, Stride, Rumble and BFT. It also started a collaboration with Lululemon for the brand’s workout library.
The master franchisee for CycleBar in Japan is entrepreneur Naoki Shimabukuro, CEO of Club Pilates Japan Co. Ltd. In addition to his role as master franchisee for CycleBar and Club Pilates, Shimabukuro is the founder of Idealink Corporation, an internet media and franchise marketing agency, and was the organizer of the 2016 International Franchise Expo in Tokyo. The addition of CycleBar will expand on Shimabukuro’s current footprint in the Japanese market, where Club Pilates has eight studios open and several more slated to open by the end of 2022.
