Planet Fitness looks to ‘shake up the Victorian fitness industry’

Planet Fitness' ongoing expansion has seen it open new clubs in Lake Haven and Warrawong in recent weeks while also moving forward with ambitious expansion plans in Victoria.

The group's largest club in NSW opened earlier this month at Lake Haven on the Central Coast, preceded by Planet Fitness Warrawong.

Expanding into Victoria, where Planet Fitness reportedly plans to open 30 clubs, the group will open its first Victorian club in the Corio Village shopping centre in Northern Geelong later this year.

In an expansion described as a push to "shake up the Victorian fitness industry", Planet Fitness Chief Operations Officer Danielle Monroy said the move into Corio Village was a strategic move as part of their focus on regional markets.

Monroy told local media “this is a huge opportunity to get into a centre that has all of your daily shopping needs but is also strategically incorporating lifestyle opportunities in addition to traditional retail.

“Everything we do is planned around making someone with no previous experience feel welcome and comfortable. We cater to the first-time gym user and it’s designed to make it fun.”

Adam Davis Head of Property for Corio Village owners IP Generation, welcomed the arrival of Planet Fitness as part of the centre’s strategic plan to expand beyond traditional retail with new lifestyle, wellness and entertainment offerings.

Davis explained "the team has put a lot of work in over the past few years to change the face of the centre. We are excited to welcome a great wellness and lifestyle brand in Planet Fitness. They will complement the current tenancy mix, including family entertainment and hospitality venue, General Public, that is currently under construction and set to open mid-2023."

Commenting on the group's plans to grow the Australian fitness market at pace, Monroy added "only 12-15% of Australians have a gym membership today. By focusing on the 75%-80% of people who are not engaged today with fitness, we aim to grow the industry to 20% by 2030. We intend to do that by offering a world class experience at an affordable rate.”

Planet Fitness has also been promoting a 'don't join a gym, join Planet Fitness' video campaign, highlighting its belief "in providing an affordable and high-quality fitness experience in a fun, friendly, non-intimidating environment."