I feel that the brands trading solely on price are not going to make it long term
them, check their certifications and qualifications and they must follow a Fitness Hut code of conduct – but we won’t define what pricing they set. Some personal trainers may charge customers £25 an hour
and some £80 – customers can chose what type of service they want and what they are prepared to pay. We’ll help to promote the trainers within the clubs as well as on our new online community, Fitness Net (see information box, p48) that we are currently creating.
What other elements define the Fitness Hut brand? We’ve made a big investment in technology. There are no membership cards, for example – just pin code access. However, we’ve avoided the high security turnstiles with floor to ceiling grills you see in some budget clubs – we don’t want people to feel like they’re being processed. In the club, we’ll have projection walls and have paired up
with fi lm companies to show a range of inspirational fi lms while people work out – fi lms linked to nature and extreme sports, such as off-piste skiing and big wave surfi ng. Like the gym space, the changing rooms also have a luxury
fi nish, with wooden lockers and up to 18 showers in both male and female areas. In northern Europe people tend to go home to have their showers, but in this climate, good changing facilities are essential.
Who are your target customers? When you’re looking to recruit up to 4,000 members, you can’t just appeal to the regular exercisers. You need to attract those who have never considered joining a club before. The brand is targeted primarily at a younger age group –
around the 25- to 35-year-old range. For instance, we’ll have a DJ pod situated in the gym area,
with live sessions once a week where the DJs can practise their sets and entertain the club members. The social element of fi tness clubs is very strong in Portugal and club parties are always very well attended.
october 2011 © cybertrek 2011
The brand is targeted primarily at a younger age group – around the 25 to 35-year-old range
As you expand the brand, what are you looking for in potential sites? We look for attractive, modern buildings in areas of dense population. Parking needs to be good and the club should also be easy to walk to. We want one to two floors, lots of natural light and good ceiling heights. Because of the economy, we’re able to negotiate much more
attractive shell rents. Overall we’ll be spending around 1.5m on each club fi t-out and equipment.
How are you marketing Fitness Hut? We’ve hired a corporate sales team to present the product to large companies. We’re on social media and are currently promoting Fitness Hut in two large shopping centres, where people can join on the spot. We’re selling them an unknown
Read Health Club Management online at
healthclubmanagement.co.uk/digital 47
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