US-based Anytime Fitness picks up three new locations in Hong Kong as it targets 100 gyms in the city over 3 to 5 years
- The expansion by the Minnesota-headquartered firms comes after the closure of eight Fitness First centres in the city in March
- A gradual recovery in the fitness segment is likely although it remains vulnerable to the ongoing Covid-19 situation, analysts say
US-based Anytime Fitness has picked up three more locations in Hong Kong as it targets opening 100 gyms across the city in the next three to five years, the health and fitness clubs operator said in a statement on Wednesday.
The expansion by the Minnesota-headquartered firms comes after the closure of eight Fitness First centres in the city in March, with strict anti-pandemic lockdown measures hurting the fitness industry’s bottom line.
The new facilities in Ma On Shan Heng On Estate, Hung Hom and a soon-to-be-opened 6,000 square feet club in Fanling by mid June, will bring Anytime Fitness’s portfolio in Hong Kong to 24 branches with more than 30,000 members, it said.
“With health and fitness a more important priority than ever, we haven’t stopped growing in Hong Kong despite emergency closures and restrictions,” said Maxie Mak, Anytime Fitness (HK) managing director. “Our longer-term target is reaching a milestone of 100 branches in the next three to five years.”
The firm’s expansion will also focus on larger premises with more than 5,000 sq ft, with gyms situated closer to residential neighbourhoods for a wider community reach, Mak said.
When gyms were ordered to close by the government to combat the spread of Covid-19, Mak said Anytime Fitness cancelled membership fees rather than adopt the standard practice of adding closed months to membership terms.