The Anytime Fitness chain plans to open 200 clubs Spain by 2020
Anytime Fitness is a US gym franchise which currently has some 2,300 fitness centres around the world, of which 1,600 are in the United States. 200 new clubs are planned for Spain by 2020.
Why Spain as the location for this new model of gym?
Spain has a large number of gym users. Around 17% of the population uses a gym or sports centre, one of the highest percentages for any country. The fitness industry is still fragmented, with few gym chains and numerous independent centres. The Spanish way of life fits in well with our model of proximity, where members like to have all services available to them near close to home, especially in large cities.
How have you carried out your introduction into the Spanish market? How has the new Entrepreneurs Act, especially the new residency authorisations for investors, helped you?
Anytime Fitness have built three corporate clubs in Barcelona to test the waters and as a way of demonstrating the cultural changes that affect the current gym model. The company is currently in the process of expanding through a series of franchises. The Entrepreneur's Visa provided for in the new Entrepreneurs Act has allowed us to remain here and organise the whole start-up and launch process, which would have been much more difficult if we were not on the ground in the country. We have been given the opportunity to administer this initial phase first hand, allowing us to open a club with excellent results. Throughout this process, we have been advised by our team of lawyers from Roca Junyent.
Projects and perspectives
Our group plans to open four Anytime Fitness clubs in Barcelona over the coming year, with several more planned, given that our first club, Anytime Fitness Ciutadella, has been very well received. Anytime Fitness plans to open 200 new clubs throughout Spain by 2020.
Assessment of the sector in Spain. What is your opinion of the Spanish market and its professionals?
People in Spain exercise a lot as they are aware that regular physical activity is an important part of a healthy life.
In general, and not only in Spain, there is a need to “connect” more with ones members, offering greater customer care and personal motivation to ensure our members reach their personal targets. Our gym model give us an advantage, as we do not need thousands of members to make a profit, as the large gyms do. In fact, our clubs are around 600 m2. This size ensures our gyms have a “local”, family feel to them.
In many clubs you are just another customer, a number and you get very little or nothing from the gym staff and administration. Our clubs, however, are a bit smaller and more focused on customer care, making the service we offer very different to that offered by other models.
What investment is required and how many jobs will your company bring to Spain?
Investment in our Sardenya 69 club stood at around half a million euros. Each club has between 4 and 8 personal trainers, activity monitors for our classes, 1 assistant club manager, 1 club manager, cleaning staff, accountants, etc.
We have also created work for local builders and the companies that have outfitted the club.
There can be no doubt that the Spanish economy, as well as the employment market, will benefit from the Anytime Fitness project to open 200 clubs by 2020.