Australian fitness franchise appoints Rapleys as it targets UK expansion

Australian fitness franchise Body Fit Training (BFT) has appointed strategic property consultancy Rapleys to support its UK growth.

BFT – which operates 330 studios across 13 countries – is looking to expand its UK footprint on the back of openings in Battersea, Leicester, Hackney, and Croydon.

With three more UK studios set to open in 2025, Rapleys has been appointed to find additional locations across London to bolster BFT’s growing portfolio.

BFT and Rapleys are seeking sites ranging in size from 1,600 sq ft to 3,500 sq ft across a single level, with a minimum ceiling height of 3 metres and Class E planning use. Locations across London are being considered, with preference for highly visible high street positions, mixed-use developments, and railway archways.

This comes after Rapleys’ recent appointment of the former Avison Young retail team to the business, including Ella Traynor and Lewis Sinclair who, led by Partner Dan Kent, will be working on the BFT instruction. Last month, Rapleys was instructed to support the Manchester Airport Group in delivering a new retail and F&B tenant mix within the £700m Stansted Airport expansion. It is also retained to source large-format stores for Sainsbury’s, as the retailer continues its strategic growth.

Lewis Sinclair, associate partner at Rapleys, said: “BFT is an exciting and highly appealing gym, with its notable global success reinforcing this. There is a strong opportunity for BFT to grow significantly in the UK, where brand recognition is already building momentum. London is a key focus for expansion, and we’re excited to be supporting this growth by identifying a range of suitable sites”