SoulCycle files for public stock offering

Published 12:00 am Friday, July 31, 2015

So popular is SoulCycle that customers eagerly arrange their schedules around openings for the week’s classes, with sessions regularly booked up within minutes.

Now the popular indoor cycling fitness boutique is betting that stock market investors will prove just as fervent.

SoulCycle filed for an initial public offering of stock on Thursday, hoping to take advantage of swelling interest in workouts.

With its classes generally starting at $30 each, SoulCycle is on the opposite end of the spectrum from Planet Fitness, the ultra-low-cost gym chain that is also pursuing a public listing. That company, which charges members no more than $20 a month, is looking to raise up to $248 million in its own stock sale.

Boutique fitness classes, which charge a premium for niche workouts, have been gaining popularity over the last decade. Leading the way has been SoulCycle, which has transformed itself from a cycling workout with a tinge of spirituality into a certifiable lifestyle phenomenon.

The company says in its prospectus that many of its customers become “soul evangelists” who espouse the benefits of the 45-minute classes.

That fan base has translated into strong financial growth as well. The boutique reported in its filing that it earned $25.3 million last year, more than double what it made in 2013. Revenue rose substantially in 2014 as well, to $112 million from $75.3 million in the previous year.

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