Background
Reshape Fitness is a new high-end club that opened on Beckenham high street on 17 October 2022. Its goal: to bring a luxe boutique gym vibe, usually reserved for London, to the suburbs.
Offering two distinct gym spaces and a group cycling studio – gym one being cardio plus lower body resistance, gym two predominantly free weights and group exercise – Reshape Fitness is the brainchild of entrepreneurs Theo Loucas and Ozzie Fadil. Identifying a growing interest in health and fitness post-pandemic, Reshape is their first venture in the fitness sector.
The whole club adopts a recurring ‘Re’ theme for a highly branded experience: Refuel for the juice bar; Recover for sauna, steam and massage; Redress for the changing rooms; and classes such as Re-heat (HIIT), Re-round (circuits), Re-cycle (cycling) and Re-build (resistance) on the group exercise timetable.
Objective
When Loucas and Fadil met Physical at a trade show, Reshape Fitness had already been designed and specced by an architect to meet their high-end vision.
“We knew what we were creating,” confirms Loucas. “We just needed to find suppliers who could deliver the quality we wanted in an affordable way, and to a fairly tight deadline.”
He continues: “As soon as we started speaking to Physical, we knew we wanted to work with them. The team there is hugely knowledgeable and helpful – they understood exactly what we were trying to do and proposed excellent solutions – and the products are great quality.”
Solution
“The standout product has to be the rig,” adds Fadil. “We shopped around, but Physical’s was head and shoulders above everyone else’s. We have it in our own pantone referenced colour scheme and it fits our space perfectly.”
Other than the tiled-floor changing rooms, Physical also supplied all flooring throughout the club, making specific recommendations for each area based on the usage and training styles it would support. The result is a perfect combination of everything from freeweight tiles to luxury vinyl to a custom turf track that’s been fully branded to Reshape.
Accessories were also supplied by Physical, including medicine balls, kettlebells, sandbags, slam balls, bands, punchbags for the rig and, says Fadil, “all the other bits and pieces we needed”.
He adds: “Physical met every need we had, identifying the perfect solutions for our concept. With its broad range of competitively priced products, we were also able to get everything we needed from one place. They made our lives very easy.”
Result
“We’ve been open for a week and already the wow factor of what Physical has helped us create is evident,” says Loucas. “The rig is now the centrepiece of our weights room, while the custom turf track that runs down the middle of the space is another fantastic, eye-catching feature.”
“And, of course, all the products we’ve got from Physical are really high quality, which is vital to our concept,” adds Fadil. “We’ve also enjoyed excellent customer service from the word go, a highly professional installation team and great aftercare.
“Physical has been a fantastic partner for us on this project.”
Acai Berry
Acai Berry, Shoreditch, London
Merrithew Pilates Reformers
Pilates Studio
Background
Launched in 2017, Acai Berry is the brainchild of founder Marcus Carmo – a Brazilian who, now living in London, was unable to find the high-quality acai he had been used to growing up. He set about producing his own in Brazil, importing it into the UK with huge success: from its roots on a Brick Lane market stall, the superfood brand now has 11 stores across London and a reputation for premium produce.
At a number of its stores, Acai Berry had been observing customers coming in for a juice, smoothie or smoothie bowl straight after a Pilates or yoga class, with a cluster of studios located within minutes of its stores.
“With our new Shoreditch flagship offering a larger footprint, we saw an opportunity reimagine what an Acai Berry space could be,” says Es Salih, director of operations and business development.
Opened in December 2024, Acai Berry Shoreditch is therefore home to the brand’s inaugural reformer Pilates studio. “It felt like a natural step to enhance our customer experience by bringing movement and nutrition together in a seamless way,” explains Salih.
Objective
“Our clientele is affluent, well-travelled and deeply engaged in fitness,” Salih continues. “They expect the best: spaces that are thoughtfully designed, experiences that are curated, brands that align with their high standards. Knowing this, every detail of our reformer studio was crafted with purpose.”
The new studio echoes the look and feel of the stores, where dark oak, black marble and black metals complement floors styled after the black-and-white mosaics of Copacabana.
“Our studio blends minimalist sophistication with functional excellence,” confirms Salih, as he describes grey brick walls, backlit mirrors and dense black floors that ensure crisp, reverberation-free music.
“To ensure our classes meet the same high standards, we assembled a team of top-tier instructors led by Rochelle, who has designed dynamic, progressive, results-driven sessions. Our programming balances energy and precision, offering everything from dynamic power flows to classical foundations.
“At the heart of it all, we wanted the industry’s best equipment.”
“Working with Physical made the entire process seamless,” he explains. “Their expertise and efficiency meant we could bring our vision to life effortlessly, securing 10 SPX Max Reformers, Cardio-Tramp rebounders and essential Pilates accessories within a day of ordering.”
Es Salih, director of operations and business development, Acai Berry
Solution
After extensive research and consultation with trusted partners such as Soho House, Acai Berry selected Merrithew® SPX Max reformers in Onyx for its new studio.
“This decision wasn’t just about aesthetics, although the all-black reformers perfectly align with our design ethos. It was about quality, performance and adaptability. Merrithew reformers are renowned for their smooth, stable movement, with a sleek, low-profile design that ensures confidence and precision for every client. All of this makes them ideal for our fast-paced, dynamic classes,” says Salih.
Initially approaching Physical as Merrithew’s exclusive UK distributor, Salih and his team quickly realised Physical could deliver all their equipment needs.
“Working with Physical made the entire process seamless,” he explains. “Their expertise and efficiency meant we could bring our vision to life effortlessly, securing 10 SPX Max Reformers, Cardio-Tramp rebounders and essential Pilates accessories within a day of ordering.”
He adds: “This investment was about more than just equipment. It was about ensuring every element of our studio embodies the quality, trust and innovation that define Acai Berry.”
Result
“Just one month on from opening, our reformer Pilates studio has become a natural extension of the Acai Berry experience, with over 40 classes a week and a fast-growing community of dedicated members,” says Salih.
Classes are available on a pop-in basis, as packages or via membership, with the £280-a-month unlimited membership emerging as the most popular option.
“We’re also exploring collaborations with Shoreditch House, extending an already strong relationship to position Acai Berry as the go-to reformer Pilates destination in the area,” Salih adds.
He concludes: “Looking ahead, we see Pilates as an integral part of our brand’s evolution. We’re redefining the synergy between movement and nutrition, bringing together two essential pillars of wellbeing under one brand.
“While our current stores may not have space for studios, future locations will be designed with this offering in mind, with Physical as our trusted partner.
“Now that we’ve seen what’s possible, this is only the beginning.”
