By / Sky (X-Sigma Business Partner)

X-Sigma, as an investment firm, focuses on investing in and incubating promising retail brands, currently covering the fitness and pet sectors. In 2024, we began collaborating with ABORO, a well-known boxing brand in Shanghai. ABORO is not a new brand — founder Michelle ABORO is a legend in the boxing world: a five-time world boxing champion, Boxing Hall of Fame inductee, with a career record of over 30 world-level championship fights without defeat. About ten years ago, Michelle founded the first ABORO gym on Changhua Road in Shanghai.

ABORO's core value lies in supreme professionalism. Michelle still teaches on the front lines — a critical criterion for X-Sigma's partnership decision: deep founder involvement and dedication to product refinement are essential. ABORO's coaching team upholds the same philosophy: all boxing coaches are champions at various levels, and fitness coaches possess deep expertise in their respective domains.

X-Sigma Empowers ABORO

to Achieve Scale and Digitalization

X-Sigma's positioning is to empower excellent brands to achieve scaled growth, and our team's core competencies lie in operations, marketing, and chain system building. We recognized the complementarity between ABORO's premium products and X-Sigma's operational scaling capabilities — our partnership was a natural fit.

Since our collaboration began in 2023, we have injected new momentum into ABORO in the following areas: Strategic Expansion: After taking over, we quickly launched a store expansion plan. Following the Changhua Road flagship, our second store successfully landed in Shanghai's Xintiandi core business district. High-end mall locations better serve our core demographic — urban white-collar professionals.

Operational System Standardization: We systematically transferred X-Sigma's experience and skill packages in recruitment, coach training, site selection models, new store development processes, and renovation standardization to the ABORO team. This laid the foundation for rapid, high-quality replication going forward.

Deep Digital Transformation: This is one of the most significant changes brought by our collaboration. ABORO previously relied on relatively basic SaaS tools for management. To enable refined operations and support future multi-store and cross-regional management, we partnered with Burgeon Technology to develop a highly customized operational management system for ABORO.

Digitalization

Becomes the Dual Engine of Operational Efficiency and Experience Enhancement

This digital platform developed with Burgeon Technology is ABORO's core infrastructure for future development. Its value is reflected in two-way improvement of internal management and member services: Data-Driven Internal Management: The system achieves full-process data transparency and visualization. Class booking status, attendance records, member card purchases and usage, class preferences — core data is crystal clear at a glance. This completely transforms the previous management model that relied on employees' personal experience or memory.

Refined Operational Decision-Making: Operations teams can make precise decisions based on real-time data. For example: identifying new members and promptly pushing class reminders (emphasizing key information like punctuality and equipment); targeted communication with members participating in special programs (such as the ""AKO"" Training Camp); optimizing class scheduling based on class popularity.

Seamless Member Experience: For members, everything is integrated in one mini-program platform: browsing classes, purchasing membership cards, booking sessions, receiving personalized reminders (such as bringing protective gear and hand wraps), viewing marketing activities — achieving a true ""one-stop"" closed-loop experience. This convenience is especially important for time-pressed white-collar users.

This system is not just a management tool — it is ABORO's digital foundation for achieving multi-store and larger-scale chain operations in the future. It ensures that as the business scales, service standards and operational efficiency can be effectively controlled and continuously improved.

Product Power

Focused on Boxing's Boutique Model and Building Member Loyalty

We firmly believe in the boutique store model's future in the fitness sector. ABORO focuses on boxing and related combat sports, differentiating itself from traditional large comprehensive gyms. This model offers concentrated, distinctive course content and highly professional coaches, providing a more immersive and efficient training experience. The combination of group classes and private training meets different members' needs. Group classes ensure efficiency and atmosphere; private training delivers personalized, in-depth guidance.

ABORO's member gender ratio is nearly 55:45, reflecting boxing's strong appeal to urban white-collar workers, especially women. The professional and charismatic coaching team is key to maintaining member loyalty. The digital platform makes this loyalty management more systematic. By tracking members' class preferences and participation frequency, the operations team can provide more personalized, thoughtful service, respond promptly to needs, and enhance a sense of belonging.

ABORO has designed a scientific, fun, and challenging progression system. Beginners start with ""Foundation Basics,"" learning basic boxing moves and reflexes. They then advance to ""Technical Development,"" learning dodging, counterattacking, and other techniques, with increased fun and technical depth. Next, ""Specialized Fitness"" courses (strength, cardio, agility training, etc.) build capabilities that serve boxing. Finally, in ""Sparring Training,"" members practice paired combat under coach guidance, applying learned techniques.

The most distinctive feature is the 12-week ""AKO"" Training Camp with 6 training sessions per week. Campers train under systematic coach guidance and ultimately step onto a real boxing ring for the ""A-Fight"" white-collar boxing competition. The event is professionally organized (including weight classes, matching, venue setup, ticket sales), creating a lively atmosphere as a carnival for members to achieve self-challenge and brand promotion. This complete journey from beginner to ""stepping onto the ring"" greatly enhances member engagement and loyalty.

The Rise of Boutique Fitness and Rational Entrepreneurship

After the pandemic, the fitness industry's landscape changed significantly. Traditional large-chain gyms face challenges, while vertical, boutique models like ABORO show vitality. We believe the core reasons are healthier financial models and more focused user experiences. For friends considering entering the fitness industry, based on our experience, we recommend: Precise Positioning and Alignment: Clearly define your target demographic, ensuring your product/service highly matches the needs of the population around your location.

Rationally View Single-Store Profitability: Single-store profit margins are limited — that's the nature of retail. The dream of making big money from one store is unrealistic. Scaled chain operations are key to improving overall returns, but this requires comprehensive capabilities in operations, digitalization, marketing, and financing.

Build on Mature Systems: For entrepreneurs with limited resources or experience, joining a mature brand or adopting an ""individual store investment"" model similar to what X-Sigma offers is a more stable choice. Investors contribute capital to become individual store shareholders, sharing that store's revenue while a professional team handles daily operations and management, reducing the risks and costs of self-exploration and trial-and-error. Infrastructure investments like digital systems are also borne by the brand.

Prioritize Digitalization and Operations: Modern consumers have high expectations for digital service experiences. Building your own system is costly; choosing a reliable digitalization partner or mature SaaS tool is necessary, but balance personalized experience with cost. Refined operational capability is the core of long-term competitiveness.

This article is featured in Burgeon New Vision, edited-in-chief by Sun Yihui, Chairman of Burgeon Technology, and produced by Burgeon Research Institute.

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