Every January, gyms are inundated with new members keen to make good on their resolution to get into shape. However, by February, the novelty of going to the gym wears off for a large percentage of members, leaving gyms relatively quiet for the remainder of the year.
While this has become such a common theme that comedy sketches and advertising campaigns now use it as a point of fact, exercise chain Fitness First believes that it may have come up with a solution to keep members on the treadmills throughout the year.
New boss Andy Coslett, who was brought in after the chain faced administration in 2012, has announced a £267 million investment into a new strategy which revolves around “behavioural psychology”, believing this is the key to lifting annual profits and gaining an edge on the competition.
The three year investment plan will see professor of physical activity and health at Loughborough University, Stuart Biddle, draw up a strategy which will allow the staff at all Fitness First branches to provide greater support and encouragement for members by 2015.
Gym goers will first participate in a health and fitness test to determine their “biological age”, after which they will receive a personalised fitness plan and access to an app which tracks their fitness progress.
Mr Coslett believes that this strategy will allow Fitness First to compete actively against other low cost rivals such as Pure Gym, as it provides a higher level of personalised support.
He says; “What Fitness First failed to do in the past was to make a strong enough case for itself as a brand and what it stood for.
“The low cost clubs have come in with very little in terms of human interaction and support and they are boxes full of equipment.
“That’s fine for some, but for most people our research tells us if you want to stay on your fitness journey you need more human support than that.”
As part of the customer experience improvement strategy, Fitness First will also be making changes to its gym layouts. Rather than having rows of exercise equipment, the emphasis will be on exercise space to allow for more high intensity workout classes. This layout has already been trialled at branches such as Tottenham Court Road and all 82 UK clubs will be altered in keeping with the brand’s new outlook by 2016 following positive member reviews.
Expansion is also on the cards for Fitness First, as Mr Cosslett has earmarked a portion of the budget specifically for growth. A total of around 40 new clubs will be opened over the next three years, both in Fitness First’s key UK and Australian markets and across Asia, where the chain is enjoying great success.
Although Fitness First may have fallen behind rivals in recent years, this radical plan could not only revive its fortunes but revolutionise the fitness industry in the UK. It is now up to consumers to see whether this motivational strategy will work for them.
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