This week, Equinox announced that it has swapped out Grown Alchemist for Le Labo as its global amenities partner. From March 19, the hair, body, and face products at Equinox gyms will be courtesy of the niche fragrance brand.
This is a big deal, for those unaware. For two years, Equinox members complained about the luxury gym’s switch to Grown Alchemist from Kiehl’s, its former soap and shampoo provider for 13 years. On social media, some announced they were canceling their memberships. (Some of the Grown Alchemist products contained nut oils, which left those with nut allergies no choice but to cancel, they said.) Others complained about needing to bring their own toiletries for a gym they paid a high premium on — for the luxury of convenience.
Equinox heard the complaints. “We always need to stay on top of our game when it comes to how we are continuing to evolve our offerings,” says Parinda Muley, chief of staff and SVP of strategic partnerships. “It was really about the vision and staying true to what we represent when it comes to a luxurious experience and continuing to define [whether] it meets the needs of our community. This was part of that revisit of: how do we continue to evolve our vision and what does that mean as member demand and expectations continue to evolve?” She makes sure to say that the Grown Alchemist partnership was “fantastic”.
On Equinox Reddit threads and TikTok feeds, members are celebratory. Under a thread titled “It’s Le Labo!!!!”, Redditors are commenting on the “huge win” and commending the gym for “listening to its members”.
It was a necessary move, says Beth Bentley, founder of brand strategy consultancy Tomorrowism. “For a business like Equinox, that has built such an immersive and highly curated brand world, seemingly minor details can carry disproportionate strategic weight,” she says. “Locker room amenities aren’t just functional, they’re a powerful expression of the brand’s taste levels and market positioning.”
Muley says that, as Equinox’s partnerships lead, she’s constantly looking for new opportunities and partnerships. But as Equinox ramps up its openings in the coming years (it has 40 additional locations in the pipeline, with the view to open about 10 locations per year, CEO Harvey Spevak told Vogue Business in November), the company was conscious that its locker room offering had to match its luxury positioning. “How do we continue to make sure that, as we’re opening new clubs and as we’re continuing to drive new offerings and amenities, that [the amenities] continue to follow suit?”
It’s a deciding moment for Equinox, which is coming out of a rough post-Covid period. In March 2024, the company raised $1.8 billion from a group of private capital investors, including private lender Sixth Street and private equity group Silver Lake, in order to refinance $1.2 million in debt. Now, Equinox is doubling down on its luxury positioning, with ambitions in longevity, wellness tech, and hotels. But to succeed in these spaces, Equinox needs a solid base — down to the soap in its showers.
Brands have long adapted their product offerings based on consumer sentiment. But in 2026, the stakes are even higher. Consumers are more discerning than ever, and expect brands to earn their loyalty — or they’ll swap to another that does. And at a moment when consumers are skeptical about the actual value of luxury, those who claim to offer it have a high bar to hit to retain consumer spend. As a membership-based platform, the stakes are even higher. “In a membership-led businesses, they’re not just people passing through,” Bentley says. “They’re members, so they expect to be listened to. That’s part of the social contract when you commit to becoming a member of any institution. It’s about the principle.”
For its next partner, Equinox was ultra-focused on finding a brand that was “very much embedded in the luxury experience”, Muley says, noting how the bodycare experience impacts the member experience dynamic. The criteria were a high-end formulation and design, that the brand understands luxury, and whether the scent profile complemented Equinox’s existing offering. (She’s optimistic that the basil scent of the new Le Labo line will go nicely with the gym’s eucalyptus towels.) Notably, Soulcycle, which is owned by Equinox, formerly partnered with Le Labo.
This brand alignment is key, Bentley says. “When people react strongly to part of the experience, it’s usually because it feels misaligned with what they believe the brand stands for.” Judging by the online reactions so far, members feel that this one is better than the last. Still, members are already wondering about the product formula, questioning whether it will live up to Le Labo’s usual standards. Muley confirms that the formula will be dictated by Le Labo.
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