interview
Ben Dixon
Anytime Fitness has launched a new interior design as part of its global strategy to enhance the member experience. The company’s commercial and property director explains.
ORIGINALLY founded in the USA, Anytime Fitness opened its first UK club in Bristol in 2010. There are now over 160 clubs across the UK and it sits as the country’s second biggest private operator, only behind PureGym by number of sites. The gyms are open 24/7 and provide a
mid-market offering, including fitness equipment from Life Fitness or Precor as well as dedicated free weights areas and group exercise classes. Anytime Fitness operates a ‘join one, join all’ membership policy, meaning members can access any of the brand’s 4,200+ worldwide locations via the fob which is issued on membership. It has over 160,000 members across the UK
and a wide-reaching membership demographic, catering for all ages.
Q. Why have you launched this new interior design scheme? The fitness industry continues to evolve and it’s important to stay ahead of the curve. Since the first UK club opened nine years ago, the design manual has remained the same
and we saw it as an opportune time to refresh our brand to ensure the offering is kept modern and relevant to the fitness industry. Anytime Fitness is keen to differentiate itself
from budget operators and own that mid- market gym space and a more caring approach for its members as well as this new design will form a key part of that strategy.
Q. How does the new design enhance the member experience? The new design creates a training environment much more in line with the demands of today’s fitness consumers. From the moment that current and prospective members enter a new-look club, they’re instantly greeted by an open and welcoming lobby area. No longer do staff have a closed-off office space and instead, are on the gym floor and instantly able to greet current and prospective members, increasing the opportunities for clubs to engage with their customers.
This approach is also taken for the rest of the
club. Rather than different training areas of the clubs being segmented by clear dividing walls or similar, which can be seen as intimidating, everything is designed to be open plan. Psychologically for members, particularly inexperienced gym-go-ers, this takes away enclosed spaces and enhances their experience as they feel more comfortable in their surroundings.
Q. How did your research influence the design? Prior to finalising the design, we carried out guest experience mapping in existing clubs and found a number of design elements which could improve the user experience. In order to achieve this, we have created a
journey divided into phases throughout the gym, considering several profiles of people who could potentially work out in our clubs. While cardio, free weights and group training formed
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