Tell Your Jet-Setting Fit Fam: Barry’s Bootcamp Is Expanding Into Asia and Australia
Ready to take your Barry’s Bootcamp obsession abroad? Last summer, Well+Good broke the news that the favorite treadmill-and-strength-training sweat fest had plans to expand to new international destinations. Now the team is announcing details about its upcoming studios—and here's hoping that classes at the first one come with a hug from a koala (or a Hemsworth brother).
That’s right: Australia is the boutique fitness giant’s first new stop abroad (beyond its current outposts in London, Toronto, Stockholm, Oslo, Milan, and Dubai). A Sydney studio is opening its doors this summer, and another in Melbourne will come later. Then Barry’s plans to go from Down Under to southeast Asia, with studios being planned for Singapore and Hong Kong.
“Our decisions about where we go and why have been influenced by a partnership,” says CEO Joey Gonzalez, who spoke with Well+Good exclusively about the news. “But we’ve also grown organically by listening to our community. Australia has been one of the most requested markets, and Singapore and Hong Kong as well.”
The fitness scene in Australia is already super-active, Gonzalez says, and includes a lot of big franchises like Orangetheory and F45. But the Barry’s team saw an opening for premium fitness experiences, and that's where they see a potential edge: "We’re going to show people just how much we can spoil them—the finishes throughout the studios, products in the shower, what they can experience in fuel bar," Gonzalez says. Singapore also doesn’t have any premium boutique concepts as of yet, he says, and Barry’s hopes to help fill in that space there as well. "There’s a big expat community in Singapore, so there’s really brand relevance for us. They’re ready to experience Barry’s."
“Australia has been one of the most requested markets, and Singapore and Hong Kong as well."
As part of its plans to bring a tight-knit sense of community to Aussies, the brand is relocating one of its star instructors from Los Angeles, Blake Bridges, to help lead the charge. “But we never roll into a new international market with the mindset of, ‘This is how we do things,’" Gonzalez says. "We’re super-sensitive to cultural differences and are always looking for ways to acclimate and relate to the people we’re serving.”
And Barry’s has even bigger plans to grow internationally. Its sights are set on expanding through the UK, Canada, and maybe a studio in Paris within the next couple of years. As the company celebrates its 20th anniversary and continues to expand (it now has 41 studios worldwide), it’s focusing on connecting members around the world through social media and special campaigns.
Its new campaign, Face Yourself, challenges people to take 16 classes in 30 days. "This campaign has been like glue; it’s really uniting the community," says Gonzalez. “As we expand, we want to do more of that. Go to a studio and it feels like your own place, with all these special details customized for you—but at the same time, you also get the sense that you’re a part of a bigger network around the globe.”
And there's more from Joey Gonzalez...see why a trip to Italy shifted his wellness mindset, then cue up the workout playlist he designed just for Well+Good.
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