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Updated RecentlyContours Express vs Retro Fitness Franchise Comparison
Below is an in-depth analysis and side-by-side comparison of Contours Express vs Retro Fitness including start-up costs and fees, business experience requirements, training & support and financing options.
Start-Up Costs and Fees |
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| Investment | $35,000 - $50,000 | $939,250 - $1,600,500 |
| Franchise Fee | $12,500 | $69,000 |
| Royalty Fee | $395/mo. | 5% |
| Advertising Fee | - | 2% |
| Year Founded | 1998 | 2002 |
| Year Franchised | 1998 | 2006 |
| Term Of Agreement | 10 years | 10 years |
| Term Of Agreement | 10 years | 10 years |
| Renewal Fee | - | - |
Business Experience Requirements |
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| Experience | - | Net worth requirement: $1M+ Cash liquidity requirement: $200K Business Experience: * General business experience |
Financing Options |
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| In-House/3rd Party | In-House/3rd Party | |
| Franchise Fees | No/No | No/Yes |
| Start-up Costs | No/No | No/Yes |
| Equipment | No/Yes | No/Yes |
| Inventory | No/No | No/Yes |
| Receivables | No/No | No/Yes |
| Payroll | No/No | No/Yes |
Training & Support |
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| Training | - | On-The-Job Training: 50 hours Classroom Training: 20 hours |
| Support | Newsletter, Meetings, Toll-free phone line, Grand opening, Internet
# Protected Territory # 5 days of Training at Contours Express University # 3-Day Training at your gym # Adjustable Weight Stack Equipment # 16 Stations - 4 extra stations optional # Butt-n-Gut cd # Preferred Vendor Discounts # Unlimited Ongoing Training # Advertising and Marketing Advice # 24/7 Online Marketing Materials Library # Personal Gym Website # Prepared PowerPoint Marketing Presentations # Nutritional Counseling Program - C.O.R.E. # Site Selection Assistance | Meetings/Conventions Toll-Free Line Grand Opening Online Support Security/Safety Procedures Field Operations Site Selection Proprietary Software Franchisee Intranet Platform |
| Marketing | Ad slicks | Ad Templates Regional Advertising Social media SEO Website development Email marketing Loyalty program/app |
| Operations |
50% of all franchisees own more than one unit Number of employees needed to run franchised unit: 2 Absentee ownership of franchise is allowed. (50% of current franchisees are owner/operators) | * 25% of all franchisees own more than one unit * Number of employees needed to run franchised unit: 10 - 20 * Absentee ownership of franchise is allowed. (35% of current franchisees are owner/operators) |
Expansion Plans |
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| US Expansion | - | Yes |
| Canada Expansion | No | No |
| International Expansion | Yes | Yes |
Company Overviews
About Contours Express
After operating coed clubs, working as consultants and working in other areas of the fitness industry, Daren Carter, Mike Widener and Charlie Woodward joined forces to create a fitness center just for women. In 1998, the partners founded Contours Express, a women-only center catering to towns with populations too small to support a full-scale, coed gym.
Contours Express members follow a 29-minute cue tape that keeps them moving through aerobic stations and strength training machines. A fitness trainer (the franchisee or an employee) works with the members during their workouts, providing motivation and other services.
Clubs, which are usually located in strip centers, are about 1,200 square feet in size and can accommodate up to 20 members at a time.
About Retro Fitness
Veteran Incentives 10% off franchise fee
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