PRODUCT NEWS
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| 1Rebel snaps up Core Collective in pre-pack administration deal – reveals international growth plans |
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| 04 May 2022 . BY Frances Marcellin |
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| 1Rebel's acquisition of Sweat It and two Core Collective clubs takes its number of London clubs from nine to twelve / 1Rebel |
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I’m delighted to announce growth on all fronts as we emerge from the pandemic.
– James Balfour, CEO of 1Rebel |
1Rebel has acquired two Core Collective clubs as part of a pre-pack administration deal, along with London studio Sweat It which it bought from liquidators in February.
The Core Collective clubs, located in High Street Kensington and St John’s Wood, London, will continue to operate under their current brand for the time being, but with updates being implemented to "improve the customer experience".
1Rebel founder, James Balfour, told HCM the brands will merge soon, with the Core Collective clubs taking the 1Rebel name.
The deal will significantly expand Balfour's team, as 1Rebel is taking on Core Collective’s experienced group of trainers.
Sweat It, a single studio club based in Covent Garden, London, is currently being refurbished as a 38-spot 1Rebel-branded Reshape studio, joining the operator's existing Reshape roster.
These acquisitions increase the company's portfolio in London from nine to 12 clubs.
“I’m delighted to announce growth on all fronts as we emerge from the pandemic," Balfour told HCM. "The 1Rebel team keeps going from strength to strength and the next couple of years will be an exciting chapter for the business.”
In addition to growing the UK portfolio, the company is also expanding its international presence in Australia and the Middle East.
1R, the Australian subsidiary of 1Rebel, has a new studio under construction in Industry Lanes, Melbourne, a second location for the city, where it opened a club in South Yarra in 2021 offering its Reshape, Rumble and Reformer programmes.
Expansion in the Middle East is underway, with two new clubs being built in Dubai, including a 12,000 square foot flagship site in partnership with property developer, Brookfield.
This club, in the ICD Brookfield Tower in Dubai's International Finance Centre, will be 1Rebel’s "first foray into the open gym floor space" according to Balfour, marking a departure from the company's usual full-studio configuration.
The two wholly-owned clubs in Dubai will be run alongside 1Rebel's franchised clubs in Israel and Saudi Arabia.
Balfour said key strategies have enabled the company to move forward in what have been the "most challenging years" for the industry. These have seen 1Rebel "adapting its strategy and moving quickly to ensure a recovery following the pandemic"; the launch and rapid rollout of a new Reformer programme and; a focus on improving its membership proposition which has included "reducing prices for all customers".
He also said the company's climate programme – One Shake One Tree – where a mangrove tree is planted in Madagascar for every shake bought at 1Rebel clubs, is continuing its philosophy of giving back to society.
One Shake One Tree follows the company's campaign to remove single-use plastic from its operation as part of its 'Rebel against plastic' campaign.
To date 22,273 trees have been planted in Madagascar – it's estimated that each removes around 308kg of CO2 from the atmosphere over the course of its 25-year life.
1Rebel is building a 12,000sq ft flagship club in Dubai with its first open gym floor / Credit: 1Rebel
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