Franchising: personal services lead the growth outlook

Personal services are emerging as an area worth watching for anyone considering entering the Italian franchise market. At the opening of the Salone del Franchising in Milan on 1 October 2026, Federfranchising identified these businesses as among those with the strongest growth prospects, drawing particular attention to fitness and wellness centres. This is a useful pointer for research, but should not be confused with a forecast of individual outlets’ performance.

The focus shifts towards personal wellbeing

According to ANSA’s report on the opening, Federfranchising believes that “personal services, in particular, offer the greatest growth prospects”. Within this category, the association highlights fitness and wellness centres, describing them as attracting growing numbers of customers.

The assessment also offers a possible explanation: a growing population of older people keen to look after their bodies. This link is presented as a hypothesis, rather than a relationship demonstrated by the data provided. The distinction matters when interpreting the news: it points to an area of interest without quantifying how much demographic change contributes to demand.

The report does not provide specific growth rates for gyms, wellness centres or other personal service businesses. Nor does it identify which business formats, price brackets or locations might offer the best conditions. The message therefore concerns a category of services, not a ranking of brands or a guarantee of profitability.

The exhibition as a forum for exploring opportunities

The assessment comes from the 39th Salone del Franchising, organised by Fiera Milano at Allianz MiCo from 1 to 3 October 2026. The exhibition brings together concepts ranging from food service to e-commerce services, offering opportunities for investment, networking and employment.

In this setting, the focus on personal services broadens the discussion beyond businesses that sell products. For a prospective franchisee, the question is not simply which brand to choose, but also which customer need they intend to meet and how the business will operate day to day.

The international presence adds another dimension: according to the opening report, brands from 11 countries are represented. Francesca Cavallo, Head of Hospitality Exhibitions at Fiera Milano, highlighted both overseas brands’ growing interest in Italy and Italian brands’ interest in understanding how to enter other markets. These are contextual observations, not specific data on expansion in fitness or wellness.

An outlook that should not be taken as a guarantee

Adding to this picture of opportunities is the assessment from the Confimprese-Jakala Retailer Barometer, cited in the same report: franchising appears slightly more resilient than the retail sector overall. Here too, the wording calls for caution. This is an assessment of the franchise sector as a whole, not a result that automatically applies to every business.

The two points should therefore be kept separate. On the one hand, there is a general assessment of resilience; on the other, Federfranchising points to favourable prospects for personal services. The available research does not establish that all fitness or wellness centres outperform other formats, nor does it allow investment payback periods to be estimated.

For anyone reading the news with a view to starting a business, its main value lies in identifying an area to investigate further. Moving from interest to a decision requires information about the specific proposition, rather than relying solely on the association’s positive view of the sector.

Checks for a prospective franchisee

How can this signal be turned into a practical assessment? A useful first step is to examine the service’s target market. If the concept also relies on older customers, ask the brand which aspects of its offering genuinely meet their needs, rather than assuming that demographic trends alone will sustain the business.

It is equally advisable to request details of the initial investment, ongoing costs, staffing, training and support provided by the franchise network. These are questions to ask as part of an assessment, not features already documented for the concepts exhibiting at the event. The financial figures for each format should then be weighed against conditions in the area where you plan to open.

Practical takeaway: treat personal services, fitness and wellness as a promising avenue for research, not a promise of success. Before joining a franchise network, ask for verifiable data on the business model and its viability in your chosen location.