This week, I checked in with leaders in the pilates space, including invite-only studio chain Forma Pilates and reformer rental company Your Reformer, to learn how the beauty and wellness industries can authentically partner with pilates brands to better reach consumers. Additionally, consumer demand for gourmand vanilla fragrance is up YoY, Reebok joins the supplement game, and the mass category sees changes as CVS gets a new CEO and Walgreens shutters 1,200 locations.
Pilates-based marketing opportunities take off as a new generation discovers pilates
The latest pilates renaissance could bring a rush of collaboration opportunities for the beauty and wellness sectors.
Pilates is a low-impact strength and mobility training practice designed by Joseph Pilates in 1920s Europe to rehab injured WWI veterans. He developed its tenets on a machine crafted from bed springs and wooden boards, which later inspired the ‘reformer,’ a machine with straps and springs that’s been evolved many times over for pilates practices today. Pilates is also taught on a yoga mat using hand weights, stretchy bands and other props.
Joseph Pilates and his wife Clara brought the practice to NYC in 1926 and, over the next decades, it became popular with dancers, celebrities and athletes, with surges in popularity in the ‘70s, ‘80s and 2000s. No one owns the basic pilates method, or its name, which has allowed the practice to flourish.
A new generation has since discovered pilates, with social media trends like “pink pilates princess” — a mashup of the coquette and athleisure aesthetics — aiding the practice’s growing popularity and carving out ways to monetize the trend outside of classes and equipment.
For example, the term “pilates” has been tagged in more than 320 million TikTok posts, often by creators to show off a new move or workout look, whereas the term “pilates princess” has been embraced by creators to document a broader pilates lifestyle. These posts, which are tracking at 105 million on TikTok, also encompass the “pink pilates princess” tag and often include many consumer packaged goods, accessories, beauty products and apparel. Think: the latest water bottle, workout set, smoothies and snacks, face mist, hair accessories, and other workout-ready goods.
According to Google Trends data from the past two decades, online search volume for pilates only recently topped numbers from twenty years ago. For example, search volume for “pilates” was at an all-time high in January 2004, with small yearly spikes around January of each year. It wasn’t until 2022 when search numbers topped those 2004 numbers, hitting an all-time in January 2023 and then again in January of this year.
This data shows growing consumer interest, as well as a “new year, new you” appetite for pilates. If this trend continues, searches are likely to hit their highest of all time this January, showing a massive opportunity for brands to partner with leaders in the space ahead of the new year.
According to data published by market research company IBIS World in July, the domestic pilates and yoga industries are worth a combined $14.7 billion with more than 42,000 businesses in the U.S. Globally, market size was charted at $142.3 billion in 2022, according to Polaris Market Research.
Among the leaders in the space is Forma Pilates, an invite-only boutique studio concept launched in Los Angeles in 2020 by Liana Levi. The first studio gained popularity with celebs like Hailee Beiber and Kendall Jenner and quickly became the aspirational pilates studio of the moment. The company has since expanded to six locations across Los Angeles, Phoenix, Dallas and New York.
Levi’s pilates method, called The Forma Method, has gained her and the brand more than 100,000 Instagram followers each. To grow awareness, Forma’s team often partners with brands Levi loves, creating a blueprint for managing exclusivity and mass appeal.
Recent collabs include a matcha latte with Blue Stone Coffee and a limited-edition smoothie with popular L.A. chain EarthBar, the latter of which launched earlier this month. The CTA around the collabs is simple: Make a purchase and get a week of free online classes.
Workout classes are ubiquitous online, but Forma has seen success with customization and sky-high production value. “The [videos] have a luxe feel — these aren’t classes shot on an iPhone,” Kirtie Wright, director of operations at Forma, told Glossy. “The online classes are filmed in our studio by our studio instructors with all the same props, so [members are] essentially getting the exact same experience from anywhere.”
The videos often feature mentions of the company’s collaborations, including the products and tips for use, at the top of the class. This has allowed Forma to generate revenue while maintaining its exclusivity. For example, in-studio classes are referral-only with limited space — and can run upward of $50-$250 per group or private class. But Forma’s digital mat and reformer classes are offered at $49.99 a month.
“Most of our partnerships [for 2025] are going to be in the beauty and wellness category, just because it so seamlessly and authentically ties back to the brand,” Wright said. Forma has also partnered with Sporty & Rich apparel for influencer-focused classes with gifting, Eataly’s Terra restaurant to drive attention to its healthy menu items, workout accessory brand Stakt and Kroma Wellness.
Forma considers awareness its largest target, and its partnerships often work to convert upward of 2,000 new customers into online subscribers. This shows the potential of these partnerships for pilates brands. Proof points showing success for the partnering brands include booss in sales, traffic and followers.
According to the Pilates Foundation, a U.K.-based teachers association, more than 12 million people practice pilates globally, many of which consume remote class content online.
The global virtual fitness market is expected to grow at a 26.72% compound annual growth rate, according to Grand View Research, to reach $201 billion by 2033. In 2022, the firm valued the global virtual fitness market at $16.4 billion.
Whereas pilates can be practiced on a mat with props, it’s primarily meant for a reformer, which can run upward of $5,000 to purchase for home use and is forecasted to grow. Future Market Insights, a consumer data agency, predicts the pilates reformer market size to reach nearly $12 million by 2031, crediting a consumer shift to home workouts, up from $5.3 million in 2021.
Here to fill this void is an Australian company called Your Reformer, which offers monthly reformer rentals starting at $39 a week. Earlier this month, the company launched in Southern California on a path to full U.S. distribution. The company is the first of its kind.
Founders and owners Emma and Ben Stallworthy launched Your Reformer in 2020 and have since collaborated with several brands, both to raise awareness and decrease customer acquisition costs. These have included primarily Australian skin-care brands like Maaemo Organic, Saint Louve, The Base Collective and Bang’n Body, as well as Ssaint fragrance and SWIISH wellness, among others.
Emma Stallworthy told Glossy these partnerships come in all varieties: sweepstakes and giveaways, social content swaps, gifts with purchase, limited-edition collections, and joint photoshoots to create less-expensive marketing materials with like-minded brands.
Earlier this month, Stallworthy and her team hosted media events in Los Angeles seeking to penetrate the celebrity and media sectors through awareness. It’s a tried-and-true strategy and brands have long appealed to editors and influencers through meet-and-greet opportunities at pilates classes. For example, skin-care brand Prakti Beauty, hair-care brand Batiste and supplement company SKII all recently partnered with trendy Reformacore pilates studio, Hollywood’s Heimat wellness social club and Live The Process studio in NYC, respectively.
Meanwhile, referral-only NYC pilates studio Tera, which was founded by former Forma Pilates instructor Georgia Murphy, hosted classes during Paris Fashion Week as a partnership with Hotel Fouquet Paris, a luxury hotel.
Other launches of note include French fashion house Celine’s first-ever pilates collection, which includes loungewear and activewear sets designed by Hedi Slimane set to arrive in Celine stores this month. The collection, fronted by model Kaia Gerber, also made a cameo in SNL’s viral Pilates skit with Kristin Wiig this April — one of the many nods to the growing popularity in pop culture — which has also impacted Google search volume. According to Google Trends, “SNL pirates skit” is the top pilates breakout phrase right now, showing the impact pop culture has had on the practice.
Meanwhile, Club Pilates, the largest chain of pilates studios in the world with more than 1,000 locations globally, is also making moves this season. The chain has partnered with Princess Cruises for its second “Club Pilates at Sea” program, where customers can take mat pilates classes both on and off the ship during Alaskan voyages.
Club Pilates operates a franchise model and is owned by Xponential Fitness, parent company to Pure Barre, Rumble, Row House and other popular fitness chains.
As Stallworthy and her team at Your Reformer expand, they are looking for collaboration opportunities beyond just beauty and wellness, as well. “Part of what we’re known for now is that we have beautifully designed, aesthetically [pleasing] reformers, as well as limited-edition colors,” Stallworthy told Glossy. “In an ideal world, I would love to work with an amazing luxury brand to design a reformer.”
Executive moves:
- Andrea Grilli, the former head of the Off-White fashion label, is the new CEO of Pharrell’s Humanrace skin-care brand. He replaces founding CEO Rachel Muscat. Humanrace sells DTC and at retailers like Credo Beauty, Bluemercury and Nordstrom. A three-step Humanrace skin-care kit sells for $100, while single SKUs start at $36.
- David Joyner is the new CEO of CVS. Joyner has spent more than a decade with the company and most recently served as evp of CVS health and pharmacy services. He has replaced Karen Lynch as CEO, effective last week, amid financial struggles within the company.
News to know:
- Not unlike CVS, Walgreens has struggled to meet its financial goals in 2024. The retailer announced last week that it plans to close 1,200 locations across North America, or about 14% of its stores, over the next three years.
- Twenty-five-year-old British nail brand Nails Inc has been acquired by Los Angeles-based consumer brand owner Pacific World Corp for an undisclosed amount. The firm owns brands like Trim nail grooming and Nailtural polish. Nails Inc founder Thea Green will continue to lead the company as the brand focuses on U.S. expansion.
- Reebok is joining the wellness supplement game. The brand launched three drink mix products on Tuesday including pre-workout, electrolytes and protein powder, which range from $38-$45 and will be sold DTC and through select retailers. The line was created in partnership with manufacturer Generation Joy, which also makes Shore Magic’s skin-focused collagen drink mixes.
- Proctor and Gamble’s beauty sales fell 5% YoY in its Q1 to $3.9 billion. P&G Beauty includes Olay, Mielle Organics, Ouai and Head & Shoulders. Hair-care sales were a bright spot while sales in China failed to meet expectations.
- Molly Sims’s YSE Beauty has taken on investment from Los Angeles-based private equity firm Willow Growth Partners, investor in beauty brands like Bubble, Dae and Kosas. The brand, which sells DTC, plans to expand into wholesale in 2025. The terms of the deal were not disclosed.
- TikTok-famous fiber supplement brand BelliWelli has secured $10 million in series B investment from Invus private equity, a previous investor in the brand. BelliWelli is currently available at Target and Walmart and will use the investment for further retail expansion.
- Skin- and body-care brand Loli Beauty, a leader in sustainability with food-grade ingredients and waterless formulations, has shuttered. According to Beauty Independent, it comes after months of attempting to sell the line despite an outstanding $500,000 pandemic-era loan, called the U.S. Small Business Administration Economic Injury Disaster Loan, which reportedly hindered growth.
- Luxury skin-care brand Révive has been acquired by S’Young Group, a Chinese private equity firm, for an undisclosed amount. Révive was founded in 1997 by Dr. Gregory Brown, MD and sells DTC and at Neiman Marcus, Bluemercury and Dermstore. Its best-selling face moisturizer retails for $195.
Stat of the week:
Gourmand vanilla perfume continues to drive consumer interest. According to Spate market research, TikTok searches for vanilla perfume — which includes gourmand fragrance made with vanilla and other synthetic edible notes to create a sweet scent — have increased 36.8% from October 2023 to September 2024. The average monthly search volume for vanilla perfume on the app is around 53,000.
In the headlines:
Intimate wellness brand Maude to sponsor exhibit at the Louvre. Taylor Swift’s Chiefs game appearance wearing Fazit’s Glitter Freckles leads to over $1 million in sales. Keke Palmer is bringing her storytelling skills to Revlon’s Creme of Nature as chief brand officer. What does it mean to be a “responsible” brand? Beauty’s leading female scientists talk innovation, experimentation and representation. The TikTok ‘it boy’ who’s getting men to wear makeup.
Listen in:
Sarah Potempa, celebrity hairstylist and co-founder of The Beachwaver, joins the Glossy Beauty Podcast to discuss live-selling, operating an in-house content studio, and passing a million units sold on TikTok Shop.
Need a Glossy recap?
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