Gym chain sees exodus of members
THE Gym Group has seen 178,000 members leave since the Covid-19 lockdown started, the budget fitness chain said today as it laid out reopening plans.
The firm, led by Richard Darwin, is among Britain’s gym operators that had to close sites in March when the lockdown started, but will reopen its 160 gyms in England on July 25. Its 13 sites in Scotland and three in Wales will follow when restrictions there are eased. Members at The Gym Group were offered a “free freeze”, with no payments taken while branches were closed.
The group today said that in the first few days after closing there were a significant number of membership cancellations, but this rate subsequently slowed considerably.
The group now has 692,000 members, compared with 870,000 on March 18.
Darwin said he is happy the firm has a “spread of sites in London that covers both residential areas and central London”. He added that he expects usage in Zone 1 sites to be limited to begin with, before improving as people return to the office.
Covid safety measures will include temperature checks, regular cleaning and restrictions on the number of people working out simultaneously.
The bulk of the firm’s gyms will initially operate 6am-10pm on weekdays and 8am-8pm on weekends with 24/7 trials in a small number of branches.