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How barre3 Bounced Back from COVID Closures with FitGrid

Liz-Hay

“I think boutique fitness can be really intimidating. To be able to break down the barrier between instructor and client may make or break whether a client signs up for another class.”

—Liz Hay, Owner of barre3 Needham, MA

Liz Hay is the owner of the Needham, Massachusetts location of barre3, a full-body balanced workout combining strength conditioning, cardio, and mindfulness with more than 170 studios and digital subscribers in more than 98 countries. Liz’s studio was the first barre3 location in Massachusetts and has been operating for 7 years.

Results with FitGrid

First-time client retention increase

43%

Sixty percent of first-timers who received a FitGrid follow-up returned to the studio, whereas only seventeen percent of first-timers who didn’t get a follow-up from an instructor returned.

Virtual Class Reservations

2,588

During the pandemic, barre3 live-streamed over 350 classes using FitGrid LIVE and had 2,588 attendees, averaging 14 people per class.  

Instructor Feedback Ratings

9.76

Students at barre 3 couldn’t have better things to say about the studio’s classes and team. In the past 6 months, they’ve received over 120 new reviews. 

lagree west

The Challenge

 COVID-19 Studio Closures

Like many studios, barre3 Needham faced unprecedented challenges when the pandemic shut down its physical location.

During this time, barre3 Needham found themselves pivoting a lot in terms of how they offered classes. Liz found herself losing sleep over the tedious work of manually managing link distribution, check-in, and follow-up for their new Livestream barre classes. Furthermore, before the pandemic, their studio was all about personal connection and they simply couldn’t figure out how to recreate that piece of the business online. 

The Solution

A combination of FitGrid LIVE classes and strong communication through FitGrid’s core tools

Liz admits she is hesitant to try new things, and that she is always looking to save time and money, so it was imperative that she found a solution to these difficulties that really worked. After speaking with a FitGrid sales rep, Liz knew that FitGrid would provide the connection piece that barre3 Needham was looking for. They rolled out FitGrid in baby steps, first launching Livestream barre classes and then incorporating instructor engagement. The barre3 Needham team found the setup to be simple to implement. The results were significant and developed almost immediately.

FitGrid helped barre3 Needham seamlessly launch Livestream class management and improve client communication. For Liz and the barre3 Needham team, breaking the barrier between instructor and client was the biggest piece of the puzzle. “For an instructor to go out of their way and say ‘Hey you killed it today, so proud of you,’ that may make or break whether a client signs up again for another class,” said Liz. 

The team at barre3 Needham is finding that this increase in digital engagement is helping post-pandemic too. The studio did not see the return of in-studio visits that they thought they would, so they are currently running with a hybrid model. Thanks to FitGrid, they are able to cultivate a meaningful instructor and client connection both on and offline.

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The Results

What clients are saying

Liz feels that her FitGrid rollout has been an overall success, and the proof is in the numbers. barre3 in Needham has seen an increase in client retention directly attributed to instructor connection and communication through FitGrid. 

Over the last 6 months, barre3 Needham hosted 240 Livestream barre classes, with an average of 8 students attending each class. In the last 30 days, 74 percent of clients returned to barre3 Needham two or more times and 40 percent of first-time visitors returned to the studio in the last 60 days. Plus, their goal of increasing communication between instructor and client worked! barre3 Needham’s open rate of FitGrid generated messages coming from instructors is 83.9 percent.

FitGrid allowed Liz of barre3 to manage her Livestream barre classes with ease, build meaningful connections with clients, and increase client retention. What could FitGrid do for your studio? Schedule your free consultation today.

“A huge part of barre3 Needham pre-pandemic was interaction and we definitely found ourselves missing that piece. Now, with FitGrid we have been able to bring back those necessary instructor-client connections through online communication.”

Liz Hay
FitGrid is the only smart community management software that helps fitness studio owners drive success. By connecting staff, instructors, and clients through a powerful learning and recommendation grid, we help you leverage the power of your community to drive your studio’s profitability.
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