The Gym Group loses a fifth of its members as it prepares to reopen
The Gym Group lost one in five of its members since lockdown started, it said today, as it gets ready to reopen most of its gyms on 25 July.
The hit to its numbers came despite the group freezing all membership payments during lockdown. It has around 692,000 remaining customers.
The low-cost gym firm said it will be reopening sites with Covid-19 measures in place, including an app that checks if your gym is busy before you arrive.
Around 160 of its 179 branches will open again on 25 July, as permitted by the new government guidelines issued yesterday. The remainder of its locations in Leicester, Scotland and Wales will reopen when the guidelines in those areas are relaxed.
A few of the establishments will trial 24-hour opening hours, while most will operate on a reduced schedule of between 6am–10pm on weekdays and 8am–8pm on weekends
New operating procedures are being tried and tested -— including the spacing out of equipment, limiting the amount of members allowed inside at any one time, temperature checks for staff, improved ventilation and sanitation and more frequent cleaning of gym kit and machines after use.
The group is also hoping these changes will encourage people to use gyms and leisure facilities at quieter periods.
Richard Darwin, chief executive of the Gym Group, said: “Opening safely is our primary concern and we have comprehensive plans in place for both our colleagues and members as we reopen our gyms.”
“We are in the process of unfurloughing our colleagues, who will be ready to open the doors of our gyms in England on 25 July and in the other home nations once restrictions are lifted. We are encouraged by the response of our members, the vast majority of whom are keen to get back to the gym to begin working out again.”
Yesterday Puregym — a rival operator to the Gym Group — said it would open its 220 gyms in England on 27 July.
It said it had set out protocols to mirror those of gyms in Switzerland and Denmark, where gyms have been open for several weeks without any known incidents of coronavirus transmission.
Gym operators in England had criticised the government for ignoring the sport and health industries, while allowing restaurants and pubs to reopen from 4 July.
Yesterday the government announced that indoor sports and swimming facilities could reopen on 25 July, with Covid-secure measures in place. Outdoor pools can reopen and some team sports restart from tomorrow.