Your Reformer has grown from a post-pandemic start-up to Australia’s largest Reformer Pilates retailer and a national phenomenon. Now the at-home Pilates provider, which sells and rents Reformer Pilates machines and beds and operates an on-demand platform of exercise videos, is embarking on a global expansion. This week, the brand announced its first ambassador, model and 2010 Miss Universe Australia Jesinta Franklin, as it prepares to take the US market by storm next.
“It’s funny, people always ask us what we do. The simplest explanation is, ‘The Peloton of reformers,’ but we do it completely differently,” Your Reformer founder Emma Stallworthy told Inside Retail, adding, “We’ve certainly learned by watching Peloton and what they do.” “One of the big lessons is, from an equity perspective, we’re running a pretty lean operation,” Stallworthy said. Once one of the coolest brands in retail, Peloton has had a tumultuous past few years. Since hitting a record high of $50 billion in market cap during the COVID-19 pandemic, when many people stopped working out at gyms, the at-home exercise bike brand has been hit by product recalls, marketing missteps and a sharp drop in consumer demand. In May, Peloton CEO Barry McCarthy announced plans to step down. About Your Reformer Your Reformer was founded in 2021 and was born from Stallworthy’s desire to make reformer pilates more accessible. With a background in gym management, the transition to an e-commerce and logistics-based business was a big learning curve for her. But by seeking out and partnering with experts from the start, she paved the way for growth and innovation. Examples include collaborating with a digital performance marketing agency and filming team for Your Reformer’s on-demand exercise video platform. Instant success Your Reformer’s initial launch was an overwhelming success. The first sale was made within seconds of the website going live, and the first batch of beds all sold out within 20 minutes. Stallworthy attributes this to a well-executed pre-launch campaign that built an enthusiastic database ready to buy or rent. “When we launched, Victoria was in lockdown and at-home reformers hadn’t yet ‘taken hold’, but customers were ready for it. The timing was ideal,” Stallworthy said. Your Reformer’s business model has diversified across retail and software sectors, creating a strong business that engages with customers at multiple touchpoints throughout the entire buying lifecycle. “For this reason, community engagement is paramount to building brand trust and equity,” Stallworthy said. On-demand classes are vital to Your Reformer’s business, serving as a tool to build community and deliver on its mission of accessibility. With over 550 classes offering a variety of times, styles and physiotherapist-led programs, Your Reformer caters to a wide range of clients. The company has invested heavily in producing high-quality video content on-demand, giving clients “the visual element that clients often miss in a class setting,” Stallworthy said. While initially targeting the home market, Your Reformer has seen natural interest from commercial clients. Leveraging Stallworthy’s 13 years of experience in the fitness industry, Your Reformer has expanded its offering to provide an adaptable solution for commercial clients, bringing 24/7 Reformer Pilates on-demand to commercial settings. Your Reformer supports over 200 health club facilities across Australia and New Zealand. This includes major chains GoodLife, Rebo, Club Lime, Snap Fitness, DeliMat, World Gym, Fernwood, and many other independent clubs. This expansion into commercial sales and rental agreements has significantly strengthened Your Reformer’s business, with B2B revenue now accounting for 30% of the company’s business. The rental side of the business accounts for 10% of Your Reformer’s revenue. In the retail space, Your Reformer’s flagship product is the reformer bed, but the team has introduced smaller accessories to complement a Pilates practice, such as mats, resistance bands, and grip socks. “It’s still early days, we just launched our sock line in January,” Stallworthy says. “Because beds are our core business, we often introduce other retail products to customers through purchase incentives during sales or by incorporating them into our on-demand classes. We pride ourselves on being design-led, so we want the aesthetic of our products to be aspirational and recognizable as a brand. We recently started looking at apparel to support our customers’ lifecycle again.” Analysis of sales trends has been key to adapting its retail offering. One notable trend has been a preference for fast, full-service delivery options and fewer customers opting for credit options. “We are constantly reviewing and adapting our retail offering,” says Stallworthy. “As a retail business, it’s costly to hold inventory and we want to move it, so it’s important to give our customers what they want or will want. “As our business grows, we continue to mature and evolve our brand personality and become more determined about what our mission and purpose is and how we fulfill it. As a result, our product offering has evolved. “Fewer customers opting for credit options such as Afterpay or in-house payment plans indicate a trend towards tightening budgeting and prioritizing spending on wellness and lifestyle products.” Global Expansion Your Reformer’s growth strategy combines geographic market expansion with product diversification. Following a successful launch in New Zealand at the end of 2022, Your Reformer is now setting its sights on the US market, starting with California. Like Peloton, international physical concept stores are also opening soon, with the company currently operating three showrooms on the east coast of Australia and planning a flagship showroom in Los Angeles. These showrooms are designed as experience spaces where customers can “touch and feel” the products before purchasing. Virtual showroom appointments have also become more popular, helping to build trust and credibility in the brand.