*SITE OF BARRY’TS BOOTCAMP NEW VANCOUVER LOCATION 1035 W Pender Street VANCOUVER BC VIA GOOGLE MAPS*

By Craig Patterson

California-based high-intensity workout concept Barry’s Bootcamp has secured a space in downtown Vancouver for its first location in British Columbia. It will be the fourth location for Barry’s Bootcamp in Canada after the concept entered the country via Toronto in in late 2017.

The downtown Vancouver Barry’s Bootcamp will be located on the main level of the 1035 West Pender Street ‘Oceanic Plaza’ commercial building in downtown Vancouver, which includes a 25 storey office tower with retail at its base. Barry’s Bootcamp will occupy just over 5,100 square feet. Martin Moriarty and Mario Negris of brokerage CBRE in Vancouver handled the transaction.

Barry’s Bootcamp opened its first Canadian location in Toronto’s Entertainment District at 310 Richmond Street West in late 2017, in an 8,000 square foot two-level space that is the largest in the company. in May of 2019, it opened its second location in Toronto’s affluent Bloor-Yorkville area. The 5,000 square foot Yorkville location is at the back end of the 100 Bloor Street West commercial podium and faces towards Cumberland Street and Village of Yorkville Park.

This fall, Barry’s Bootcamp will open its first ‘hybrid’ storefront in partnership with Canadian athletic brand Lululemon, which will become Barry’s Bootcamp’s third Canadian location. We previously reported that both brands will share a building in Calgary’s Mission/Cliff Bungalow area at 2308 4 Street SW in the historic Bannerman Block that was built in 1911.

In a previous interview, Barry’s Bootcamp said that it was looking to open approximately 10 locations in Canada. We were told that other potential markets include Montreal and Edmonton, and Toronto could see two or more Barry’s Bootcamp locations open, depending on finding the right spaces.

And finding the right space is critical. Barry’s Bootcamp is a decidedly urban concept that locates in areas featuring an upper-income population that is able to afford its per-class and monthly fees. Toronto’s Entertainment District, for example, is home to thousands of young and upwardly mobile professionals, and is also a significant employment centre. Toronto’s Bloor-Yorkville area is known to be Canada’s wealthiest high-density neighbourhood and it’s growing quickly with several thousand more residents expected to be added over the next five years. Calgary’s Mission/Cliff Bungalow is home to many Millennials in a growing area and is also near affluent areas such as Mount Royal, Roxboro, Rideau Park and Elbow Park. Downtown Vancouver is home to some of the most expensive condominium residences in Canada, including waterfront penthouses in the Coal Harbour area that cost in the tens of millions of dollars each.

*BARRY’S BOOTCAMP WILL SHARE SPACE WITH LULULEMON IN THE HISTORIC ‘BANNERMAN BLOCK’ IN CALGARY. RENDERING: CERTUS DEVELOPMENTS*

*BARRY’S BOOTCAMP YORKVILLE LOCATION PHOTO: BARRY’S BOOTCAMP*

According to its website, Barry’s Bootcamp classes cost $32 per session, with packages also available. A package of five classes cost $155, 10 classes cost $300, 20 classes cost $580, and 50 classes will set one back $1,360. There are also monthly memberships costing $315 (“Barry’s Star”) for 12 sessions and $415 (“Barry’s Legend”) for 30 sessions monthly.

Barry’s Bootcamp locations include a ‘Red Room’ workout space — the soundproof Red Room provides visitors the opportunity to participate in high-intensity interval training workouts, alternating treadmill cardio conditioning with strength training. Thumping music keeps patrons motivated and personal trainers set the tone.

Top-of-the-line Woodway treadmills used at Barry’s Bootcamp are said to lessen the impact on people’s joints. Several dedicated classes throughout the day include a fitness trainer who leads the group classes — the trainer is there to challenge and encourage clients to push beyond their limits and achieve new goals. Barry’s says that the experience combines “the motivation of a personal training session with the energy of a group workout” that can be tailored for all fitness levels.

*OUTSIDE THE TORONTO LOCATION AT 310 RICHMOND STREET WEST. PHOTO: BARRY'S BOOTCAMP*

As with other locations, Vancouver’s Barry Bootcamp will feature a ‘Fuel Bar’ which serves nutritional items including a range of smoothies. A retail space within will feature various merchandise including Barry’s original workout and athleisure apparel as well as Lululemon workout gear in a wholesale partnership. Upscale change room areas for men and women include high-end post-workout products for guests who have finished their workouts.

A timeline of Barry’s history from its website:

1998: LA based celebrity trainer Barry Jay has the idea for a one-stop cardio and strength training workout that actually works. Barry Jay partners with John and Rachel Mumford to open the first Barry’s Bootcamp in West Hollywood and together they launch the boutique fitness studio revolution;
2004: Barry’s CEO Joey Gonzalez joins the company and becomes a star trainer at Barry’s;
2009: Barry’s expands outside of Los Angeles for the first time, opening in San Diego;
2011: Barry’s takes Manhattan! The first NYC studio opens in Chelsea, which sees the first Fuel Bar launch and first use of its signature Woodway treadmills;
2015: Barry’s goes global! Studios open across the world in Norway, London, Boston, Miami, Nashville, and San Francisco. Expansion continues across New York City and the Hamptons. Barry’s retail hits new levels of success with expansion of the collection to Bloomingdale’s;
2016: Over 40,000 members of Barry’s FitFam take class every week ( celeb clients include Ellie Goulding, Mandy Moore, David Beckham, Harry Styles). The first studio opens in Chicago; and
2017: Barry’s readies for expansion into several new markets — both domestic and international.

We’ll continue to report on Barry’s Bootcamp as it continues to expand into new markets in Canada.

Now located in Toronto, Craig is a retail analyst and consultant at the Retail Council of Canada. He's also the Director of Applied Research at the University of Alberta School of Retailing in Edmonton. He has studied the Canadian retail landscape for the past 25 years and he holds Bachelor of Commerce and Bachelor of Laws Degrees. He is also President & CEO of Vancouver-based Retail Insider Media Ltd. Email Craig: craig@retail-insider.com

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