UBX, the boxing and strength training concept, launches in the UK

Empowered Brands, the f itness franchise investor and owner of énergie Fitness, the UK low-cost gym, has announced the launch of its new innovative boxing and strength training concept from Australia, UBX

The UK’s f irst UBX site in Media City, Salford, is being opened by two local franchisees, Ben Waldron and James Wor rall.

Coming amidst post-Covid network sales of £33m across its énergie Fitness por tfolio of over 80 clubs with 114,000 members across the UK and Ireland,

Empowered Brands’ ambition is to open 250 UBX clubs within six to eight years

UBX was co-founded in 2016 by fourtime world champion Australian boxer Danny Green, and f itness and tech entrepreneur Tim West UBX cur rently has over 90 clubs across Australia, New Zealand and Singapore, and says it is the world’s fastest g rowing boxing and strength training concept.

The brand explains that its concept is based on a unique blend of non-contact g roup boxing and strength training, backed by science, delivered by world class coaches, and with convenience, enjoyment and results at its core

Inclusive for all and with new workouts daily, there are no class timetables or bookings required, as its ultra-flexible model uses intelligent prog ramming to make wait lists, late charges and inconvenience a thing of the past for its members

UBX adds that as an elite training experience, club members can simply ar rive when they want to, choose a round, and will always have coaches available to guide them from star t to f inish for an easy-to-lear n, full-body workout in under 45 minutes

Team culture

The brand’s mission is to take boxing from an individual pursuit and transfor m it into a team culture

John Jempson, managing director of UBX Boxing + Strength, UK & Ireland and chief f inancial off icer at Empowered Brands, explains: “Convenience, variety and trainer suppor t are among the top three priorities when it comes to selecting a f itness activity, and UBX delivers on them like no other concept

“UBX is an environment where results are just an additional benef it to pure enjoyment – through the combination of team-based training and coach interaction Our clubs will be communities, where anyone can lear n new skills, working with each other towards a collective goal and going away with a sense of achievement following ever y session ”

‘Increased demand’

The opening of the f irst UBX franchised site comes at a time when Empowered Brands says there is a clear demand from consumers for f itness oppor tunities as it has seen membership levels across its énergie Fitness por tfolio having recovered to 114 per cent of pre-Covid levels

Jempson continues: “We’ve opened 22 énergie Fitness clubs since March 2020 across the UK, Ireland and Spain With movement towards flexible work schedules and an increased demand for social connection, not to mention a boom in interest for skills-based classes and boutique f itness across the industr y, we’re expecting impressive results across our UBX franchises Convenience wise, the model is completely unrivalled too, which means exceptional retention ”

Keen to emphasise the unique oppor tunity to potential franchisees of UBX’s flexible model, Jempson is expecting it will be a driving force in helping Empowered Brands open no fewer than 22 clubs across both UBX and énergie Fitness this year, and 30 to 40 clubs a year through the next six to eight years

Jempson explains: “The UBX model is unique because such a small space is required as compared to other f itness franchise investments, only around 1,500 sq ft a club, but possible member capacity is high

“Star t-up capital required is low too, in the region of £130k – £200k factoring an initial personal investment from franchisees star ting from £40,000, but it’s a high retur ning f inancial model, easy to operate and highly scalable

“We suppor t franchisees with funding, systems, technology, marketing, operations and infrastr ucture too – with over 20 years’ experience in the industr y, we think this level of suppor t and sophistication underlies why we are one of the most disr uptive brands across health, f itness and well-being ”

Pietro Nicholls, chair man of Empowered Brands, said: “The predictability of UBX’s franchise model makes it an attractive prospect to franchisees When you consider investing in one’s health and well-being is an essential consumer spending item too, we are extremely excited to commence the roll out of UBX clubs across the UK.”

Each new UBX club will be expected to require a minimum of three to f ive members of staff, which the brand sees as generating in the region of 1,250 new jobs across the UK leisure sector

Empowered Brands headquar tered in Milton Keynes, is backed by RM Funds, an alter native investment management f

To learn more www.ownaubx.com www.empoweredbrands.co