interview
martin long
Barriers preventing staff from interacting with
members must be removed, says Martin Long (left)
The CEO of LA Fitness talks to Kate Cracknell
about putting people at the heart of the business
E
nergy and passion are the technology,” Long explains. “I wanted a
name of the game, according change: to work in a different industry, or
to Martin Long, CEO of LA for a different retail brand, and to broaden
Fitness, as he talks about the my horizons with a new challenge.”
repositioning work going on at the chain.
He has been in the job for about a year changing the output
and a half now – what he calls “a very long So what drew him to the health and
induction period” – during which time fitness industry? “There’s been single-
it’s been nose down, getting to grips with figure growth in the sector for the last
the business. The result is a rethink of the few years, but I subscribe to the view that
way the chain will operate going forward, we’re set for a new period of growth,” he
and it’s clear he’s excited at the prospect says. “I think clubs are really looking at
of unleashing LA Fitness’ potential. their operations to make a change and
Long’s background is in retail – he broaden their appeal. That’s where I
previously ran a company called Game, come in – I’m very consumer-focused.
Europe’s largest retailer of video games. “At Game, to get the market share
The number of Game stores in the we did, we built a packaging around
UK grew from 16 to 400 during his our product which absolutely anyone
time at the company, gaining a 25 per coming into the store could understand.
cent market share, while simultaneous Because the playing fi eld’s not level:
international expansion means there are it’s about what you do with the playing
Mix ’n’ match Local nuances, but brand now 1,200 stores across nine countries. fi eld. You may not be the cheapest, but
consistency maintained at Piccadilly “But the games industry is very cyclical if you can put a package together that
(above) and Muswell Hill (below) and I’d done a number of evolutions of delivers great value for the customer,
32 Read Health Club Management online september 2009 © cybertrek 2009
healthclubmanagement.co.uk/digital
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