Breaking Into the U.S. Pure Fitness

Fitness is a popular choice for New Year’s resolutions. The goal of getting healthier is admirable and millions of Americans decide annually that a new year means it is time to get back to the gym. The first few months of the year are usually very good for fitness centers, yet membership always craters as the year goes on. Some of that is due to consumers flaking on their exercise program, yet some of the fitness centers are to blame as well. Long-term membership commitments and hidden fees that are used to cover their high overhead scare off consumers. That is where the U.K.’s PureGym has stepped in with a cheaper and more flexible alternative. Now the international fitness center has set its sights on the U.S. where they see a golden opportunity and a new brand name, Pure Fitness.

So far this year, Pure Fitness has opened three locations, yet that is just the beginning as the company plans to expand to 300 franchised gyms. Pure Fitness is a classic success story that took a clever idea and built it from a small local business into an international giant. The company was founded in 2008 with the plan to provide more affordable fitness to customers. There was a gap in the marketplace as most chains charged high membership fees and often required a 12-month commitment. Pure Fitness introduced a model that was low cost and no commitment with members having the ability to cancel at any time with no additional cost.

Pure Fitness also ingratiated itself to members by using technology to their advantage through an app that handles all membership needs. All it takes is a few minutes in the app to cancel or renew a membership without the hassle of an employee trying to upsell. The app also controls how members gain access to the fitness centers via a quick digital check. The level of convenience provided by Pure Fitness has clearly struck a chord with consumers as the brand boasts over two million members.

Pure Fitness also keeps costs low by requiring only two full-time employees. The company also employs fitness coaches, yet they only work 12 hours a week on a rotating schedule. Personal trainers are not employed by Pure Fitness and instead pay the gym a fee to work with clients at the fitness centers. The company employs no sales team at their centers, a major departure from other U.S. gyms. Instead of pushing sales and long-term memberships, the company relies on marketing and their low costs to do the selling.

With over 200 locations in the U.K. and over 200 in Europe and the Middle East, Pure Fitness has shown the ability for growth and sustainability. They are a natural fit for the U.S. market and outside of a name change, their business model looks to stay the same. They could be a major problem for U.S. fitness centers and could cause some of the big names to change how they operate.