Anytime Fitness picks new sites in Hong Kong

US-based Anytime Fitness has chosen three more locations in Hong Kong as it plans to open 100 gyms across the city in the next three to five years, the health and fitness club operator has said.

The expansion by the Minnesota-headquartered firm comes after the closure of eight Fitness First centres in the city in March, with strict anti-pandemic restrictions battering the fitness industry.

The new facilities in Heng On Estate in Ma On Shan, Hung Hom and a soon-to-be-opened 6,000 sq ft club in Fanling would bring Anytime Fitness’ portfolio in the city to 24 branches with more than 30,000 members, the firm said.

“With health and fitness a priority more than ever, we haven’t stopped growing in Hong Kong despite emergency closures and restrictions,” said Maxie Mak, managing director of Anytime Fitness (HK).

“Our longer-term target is reaching a milestone of 100 branches in the next three to five years.”

The firm’s expansion would also focus on larger premises with areas bigger than 5,000 sq ft and 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 adopting the standard practice of adding the period of closure to membership terms.

After several months of closures, fitness clubs were finally allowed to open their doors to members late last month, and some new operators had slowly entered the Hong Kong market, said Lawrence Wan, senior director of retail advisory and transaction services at CBRE Hong Kong.

“We do see some local and international gym operators emerging in the market, but they will not necessarily take over abandoned sites,” Wan said.

A gradual recovery in the fitness segment was likely to happen, although it remained vulnerable to the ongoing Covid19 situation, said Fiona Ngan, head of office services at Colliers Hong Kong.