Barney Harrison / PHOTO: The gym group
Have you piloted the idea with any members and what was the feedback?
The pilot started at the beginning of August 2021. Prior to this, we engaged in extensive proposition testing as part of the ideation and design stages. Member feedback will be central to the appraisal of the pilot.
What’s the customer journey?
In the Fiit Studio, classes are timetabled – we’ll have up to 15 scheduled classes a day throughout the week, giving members increased flexibility and more choice to work out at a time that suits them.
The Fiit Pods have been installed to allow members to train independently – similar to the core Fiit offer – the 700+ classes are available on-demand.
For those who are looking for more variety, the pods give our members access to hundreds of HIIT, Pilates, Yoga, weights, mobility and breathwork classes in an efficient format. Whether they’re looking for a 10-min cooldown or a 25 /40min workout, Fiit’s range of classes are available at the touch of a button.
How much floor area do they take up and what has been taken out to make room for them?
Fiit Studios are integrated into our functional areas and are semi open plan and we haven’t removed any kit in the pilot gyms to make room. To help you visualise, in terms of area, Fiit Pods take up the space of two treadmills.
What are the COVID-secure SOPs for the Fiit Studios and Pods? Do they have air-con, for example?
Like all our studio spaces, class limits have been set to ensure there’s safe and adequate space to train and we’re providing the means for members to sanitise their hands and equipment before and after use.
The spaces for Fiit Studios and Fit Pods share the same fresh air ventilation and air conditioning as the rest of the gym space. Our HVAC systems provide our gym spaces with 100 per cent fresh air ventilation.
If people use equipment during the classes, who’s responsible for putting these away?
As with all kit in our gym we ask the members of gym communities to take responsibility for cleaning and returning kit.
As part of our ongoing commitment to members and teams we carry out robust cleaning regimes in all gyms, including equipment and high touch point areas, regularly.
Will these Fiit offerings be a new upsell and if so, how much will they cost?
This is something we’re working on, with further details being announced in due course.
Will they be marketed as part of The Gym Group offering to bring in new members?
Yes, the partnership will be marketed to new and existing members. We’ll be sharing further information across our marketing channels soon.
Do you expect these offerings to attract a new type of member?
Our research has identified a number of new and addressable audiences, as well as our current base and beyond. With over a third of UK consumers now owning a wearable device and with this number only set to increase, the introduction of the new Fiit Studio features and Fiit Pods allows us to respond to this increased demand for digital fitness.
How will your competitors react?
We’re responding to the changing needs of our members, as I’m sure our competitors are doing. We’ll be focusing on the things we can control as part of the pilot, reviewing the responses and adapting as appropriate.