Fitness First aims to get Singaporeans active

Fitness First is aiming to get more Singaporeans to join their health clubs.

The international club chain, which currently operates 11 clubs in Singapore, intends to open another 13 clubs over the next four years.

With the International Health, Racquet and Sportsclub Association's 2011 International Report identifying that a mere 4% of Singapore's population are members of a health club, Fitness First's global Chief Executive Colin Waggett sees that his biggest competitor in Singapore is the sofa rather than other health and fitness clubs.

Interviewed in Singapore's Business Times, Waggett explained "in the USA, nearly one in five people are members of a health club. In Singapore, the number is about one in 25."

Waggett credits Fitness First's growth to consumers who are increasingly aware of the benefits of keeping healthy, stating "we've got a product that everybody needs, but not everybody wants. Our job is to help people understand how they can improve the quality of their lifestyle, health and well-being. The market is growing because people are recognising the need to be healthy.

"And the reason that we're growing more rapidly than anyone else in the market (is because) we've got our proposition fairly and squarely focused on making sure that we help people achieve their (fitness) goals.

"The biggest hurdle people have is motivation. When people ask me who our competitors are, I tell them it's the sofa.

"I don't really care what (other fitness clubs are) doing, what I care about is how I can get more people to be members of health clubs. And the only way we can do that is by giving people value for their membership.

"We always say we can cover home and work, so reciprocal usage is very important to us.

"About 80% of our Singapore members have a membership class that enables them to use more than one club. And more than half of our members in Singapore do regularly use more than one club.

"Our aim is to offer more and more convenience to people, with one club in the heartlands, and one where you work."

Fitness First expects most of its new clubs to be based away from the Singapore CBD, particularly in the commuter hubs and around MRT stations.

The company has identified 13 potential locations in Singapore to base new clubs.

According to Simon Flint, Managing Director of Fitness First Asia, the newer clubs boast space that matches the evolution of exercise trends and equipment usage.

The recently opend Tampines club ncludes more targeted freestyle areas, which allows for more movement-based exercises.

Fitness First has more than 140 clubs spread in Asia and Australasia, with outlets in Australia, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Thailand, Philippines, Indonesia and Singapore; and expects to open five to eight new clubs in Asia annually.

Globally it operates in 20 countries with 550 clubs and over 1.4 members.

Waggett believes Fitness First might also look at widening its geographical reach within Asia, concluding "we're having a look, and if we feel the economics and timing are right, you may see something towards the back end of 2012."

Last year it was reported that BC Partners, the private equity group which owns Fitness First, was looking to organise a US$1.80 billion flotation on an Asian exchange.