In Hong Kong, the new look of success is lean and sculpted
Fitness chains and sports brands are capitalising on Hongkongers’ pursuit of a healthy lifestyle and expanding with new outlets in the city
As affluent Hongkongers shift away from flashy handbags and shoes to experiential luxury, Pure’s yoga studio is expanding into the space vacated by British brand Burberry on the ground floor in the Pacific Place mall.
The yoga studio, covering over 10,000 square feet, is a likely draw for bankers, lawyers and other white collar workers when it opens in August. It will take over the ground floor premises that Burberry used to occupy, after the British brand scaled down its shop size in the mall.
The exorbitant rent reflects the spending power of Pure’s clientele, which has helped build the home-grown fitness and lifestyle company’s financial strength and to vie for a spot in one of Hong Kong’s most expensive malls, alongside Prada, Hermes and Louis Vuitton.
“People are prioritising their own life differently than they were before,” said Colin Grant, chief executive of Pure in one of its yoga studios in Central in a recent interview.
The former tennis player co-founded Pure in 2002 with Hong Kong billionaire Bruce Rockowitz. They have taken the company on an aggressive expansion in Hong Kong and China in recent years, with talk of an eventual initial public offering.
