Testing whether a softplay concept is worth the investment before committing capital
The founders were ready to invest in three centres, but their investors wanted an independent view of the market.
Growth case- A founder team launching an indoor softplay chain
- Client
- Family entertainment
- Industry
- Market & GTM Strategy
- Solution
- 6 weeks
- Duration
Results
- Capex per centre
- −30%
- Projected payback period
- 5.5 → 3.2 yrs
- To an investment decision
- 6 weeks
The challenge
The founders planned to open three large-format centres, using footfall and revenue projections supplied by an equipment vendor. Investors questioned whether demand could support the plan, especially on weekdays, and asked for an independent market and business case before committing funds.
Our approach
How we applied the GROW Framework — from data to decisions and measurable growth.
Sized demand from households with children aged 1–10 in the target cities by income band. Benchmarked 20 existing centres on pricing, footfall and utilisation, and surveyed 600 parents on visit frequency and spend.
Weekday utilisation decided whether the business worked, and the vendor plan assumed roughly twice what comparable centres achieved. The best performers earned 35–40% of revenue from birthday parties, school visits and memberships rather than walk-ins.
Redesigned the model around a smaller, right-sized format with party, school-trip and membership revenue streams. Defined site-selection criteria and built base, downside and upside financial scenarios.
Delivered an investor-ready business case, plus launch KPIs and go/no-go thresholds for the first centre before committing to the second and third.
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