Body Fit Training (BFT) has signed a master franchise sgreement in Scandinavia with a minimum of 30 studios set to span over 10 years.
The new master franchisee is Tage Flugeim, a seasoned gym operator who introduced Barry’s Bootcamp to Scandinavia 15 years ago.
Flugeim launched the first Barry’s studio outside of Los Angeles. From 1 August he will focus on the BFT rollout across Scandinavia.
The first BFT studios will open in Oslo, Stockholm, and Copenhagen within 12 months. These studios will serve as flagship studios in their respective countries.
Flugeim will sub-franchise once these studios are successfully established. The goal is 20 studios in the first five years and 40 BFT studios across Scandinavia by 2034.
Fitness brand right for Scandinavia
Richard Burnet, director and CEO of BFT International, said Flugeim’s experience will serve the brand well.
“The boutique fitness space is still a relatively niche offering right across the region which creates a huge opportunity for BFT to establish itself there,” he said. “Scandinavians are passionate and committed to their fitness, so we know they’ll embrace our unique model and we are excited to support Tage and his team in bringing the BFT product to as many cities as possible.”
Flugeim said the brand’s no-nonsense approach fits the Scandinavian mindset.
“Scandinavians have a strong health and fitness culture. Over 20 per cent of the population are members of a fitness studio. Our economy is, generally speaking, very good and we are willing to pay for quality products,” he said.
“After 15 years of developing Barry’s in the Scandinavian market, I know that Scandinavians appreciate foreign fitness brands. We look up to the US, UK, and Australia, and introducing BFT’s culture, story, and high-quality workouts to our region will be a perfect fit for Scandinavia.”
BFT opened its first European studio in March this year, in Barcelona. The brand is scheduled to open in Indonesia in July.
