FaceGym will open its first Merseyside studio at Liverpool ONE on 10 December, run by franchise partner Vivo Studios, Retail Gazette reports. The 500 sq ft site, backed by more than £300,000 of investment, will create 12 jobs and is the third FaceGym studio for Vivo, which already trades in Manchester.
FaceGym describes its offer as non-invasive facial workouts, combining massage techniques with skincare technology through a membership-led model. The company was founded in London in 2014 and says it has a presence in London, New York and Los Angeles. The Liverpool opening forms part of a UK franchise rollout in which the brand is targeting 28 studios over three years. The report was published on 6 November.
The Liverpool ONE studio
The studio will sit on Peter’s Lane, which Liverpool ONE describes as its premium retail quarter, as landlord Landsec continues to build the destination’s beauty and wellness offering. Clare Dutton, portfolio director at Landsec, said FaceGym’s decision reflects the appeal of Liverpool ONE to premium brands looking to expand into new areas.
At 500 sq ft the unit is small, which fits a service format built around treatments and memberships rather than shop floor space, although the report does not discuss the unit’s economics.
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A franchise partner with two Manchester studios
Vivo Studios already operates FaceGym studios on King Street and at Selfridges Trafford in Manchester, so Liverpool extends the same franchise partner’s North West footprint rather than opening a new territory under a new operator.
Minesh Solanki, managing director of Vivo Studios, said Liverpool ONE was the company’s first choice for the next step in its North West expansion. He pointed to the footfall, the energy of the destination and the city’s appetite for beauty and wellness, and said the business is proud to be creating jobs in the city.
The 28-studio target and recent openings
Retail Gazette says FaceGym has recently expanded its UK footprint through franchise openings in Canary Wharf, Broadgate, Leeds and Cambridge, alongside the Manchester sites. The 28-studio target covers three years, but the report does not give the starting number of UK studios, the split between franchised and company-run sites, or how many further franchise partners the brand is seeking. Those gaps make it hard to say how much of the target is already open.
What the report does not say
The report gives no franchise fee, royalty or total investment per studio beyond the £300,000 for this site, and no franchised share of the UK estate. For the questions that apply to any brand in this category, see how to choose a franchisor, and for the wider sector see our listing of beauty and wellbeing franchises.
