3 brands & 20+ outlets: How Singapore’s Yoga Movement plans to build a global fitness empire

Whether you’re a yoga enthusiast or not, you’ve likely heard of Yoga Movement. With 10 outlets across Singapore, the brand has built a strong presence in the local fitness scene.

And having attended their classes myself, I can tell you—they’re almost always packed, especially during peak hours.

But did you know the yoga chain started from humble beginnings?

They didn’t have an “extravagant business plan”

When we first spoke to the founders of Yoga Movement—Alicia Pan and her husband Peter Thew—a couple of years ago, Alicia candidly admitted that she didn’t have “an extravagant business plan” when they started.

In 2012, the duo launched their first studio on Carpenter Street, personally handcrafting much of the interior—they even turned an old door into a reception table.

At the time, Singapore’s yoga scene was still in its infancy, with only a handful of dedicated studios across the city-state. Most were subsidiaries of large fitness gyms, and flexible drop-in classes or packages were far from common.

This gap in the market was what inspired the husband-and-wife duo to create Yoga Movement—they wanted to offer a “no-fuss, no-frills” experience that would make yoga accessible to everyone, regardless of their experience or background.

Expanding their footprint

Since its inception, Alica and Peter have grown Yoga Movement from a bootstrapped startup funded by their own savings to one of Singapore’s most prevalent fitness chains.

Over the years, they’ve focused on building a community around their offerings, hosting a range of events, including workshops, cold plunge sessions, and community meet-ups.

By 2021, the brand had amassed a customer base of over 100,000 yoga enthusiasts, clocking a whopping 25,000 visits a month.

It was also during this time that Alicia and Peter, buoyed by the brand’s success, set their sights on international expansion—but their plans were abruptly derailed.

We had refined our brand… and created a complete franchise development system. It was so well-received, and many potential markets were ready to open up—but the COVID-19 pandemic halted these plans, and all efforts were put into the maintenance of the business.

Peter Thew, Group Director and co-founder, MOVE [REPEAT]

Post-pandemic, the duo came to realise that many of their original target markets were reopening slower than they had expected, hence, they sought new ways to grow their business within Singapore.

Looking at the broader fitness landscape, they noticed a major shift in consumer behaviour.

People were no longer sticking to just one fitness activity, but instead, branching out into a wider variety of activities to suit their needs, especially with Singapore’s saturated market offering more choices than ever.

“They could be YM (Yoga Movement) for life, but also love to spin, lift or go for pilates,” said Peter.

With that in mind, the duo launched MOVE [REPEAT] in 2023 to expand their footprint in Singapore’s fitness space. Their goal is to invest in, acquire, and build “innovative fitness brands” that align with the group’s core values and to position themselves as “Asia’s leading boutique fitness provider.”

To further drive this vision, they’ve also brought on board a new co-founder: Allen Law, the CEO of Park Hotel Group.

But why bring on a new co-founder?

Allen has been a client of Yoga Movement for many years, first joining in 2016 after more than a decade of prioritising his career over his health. As the CEO of Park Hotel Group, his 12-hour workdays took a toll on him, and after experiencing several fainting spells, he knew he needed a change.

Yoga became his gateway to a healthier lifestyle, and as he grew to appreciate the mindfulness and intentionality of yoga, so did he with the Yoga Movement brand.

“Like many, he really embraced the Yoga Movement culture and practice, and he reached out directly to see if there was an opportunity to work together,” said Peter.

At the time, Peter admitted that he and Alicia had a lower risk appetite, especially with their growing family; however, they were still eager to expand the brand and strengthen their presence in Singapore’s fitness space.

“The base belief that the brand and the group could grow was there, but bringing in a strong partner was essential to take the next step,” he explained.

Creating a group of lifestyle brands

Under the MOVE [REPEAT] umbrella, the couple, together with Allen, have brought in Australia-based pilates-cardio studio Strong, expanding it to four locations across Singapore.

Most recently, they also acquired a partnership stake in REVL Training, another Australian fitness chain, that specialises in performance-based group training sessions. They have since grown the brand to 10 outlets in Singapore.

The group aims to expand further, with plans of rounding out its offerings with up to five fitness modalities by 2027.

And as for Yoga Movement, MOVE [REPEAT] has aspirations to establish a presence in Australia and other Asian markets, following its entry into Hong Kong late last year.

We ultimately want to create a group of lifestyle brands that focus on getting people moving. We believe the way we achieve that is by making the brands accessible, excitable, community driven, and engaging.

Consistency is key in fitness, and the only way to have people commit to a healthy life is by making their workout more than just a work out.

Peter Thew, Group Director and co-founder, MOVE [REPEAT]

• Find out more about MOVE [REPEAT] here.
• Read other articles we’ve written on Singaporean startups here.

Featured Image Credit: MOVE [REPEAT]