The Dutch budget operator Fit For Free (F4F) already opened its first Polish club in Poznań in December 2012 and was the first international budget fitness chain having a subsidiary in the country. Together with the medium-priced SportCity, Fit For Free belongs to the private equity fund Avedon Capital Partners from the Netherlands. This year, the European market leader McFIT from Germany has launched its first Polish branch in the city centre of Warsaw in March. Another player of the budget segment will enter the market shortly: CityFit which is backed by a British private equity fund has scheduled the opening of its first club in Rzeszów in the southeast of Poland at the beginning of July. The preparations for the launches of two further clubs in Wałbrzych in the southwest of Poland and in Warsaw this year are underway. The company announced plans to open 50 clubs in big and medium-sized towns in Poland until 2017. The expansion shall be financed with up to EUR 25 million by the investor. Currently, CityFit is looking for potential locations with a size of 1200-2000 m².

All operators provide state-of-the art fitness equipment and have a modern physical appearance. So far, their facilities are located in shopping malls. A membership at Fit For Free has a minimum term of 12 months and a monthly fee of approximately EUR 14 (PLN 59) applies; a special membership including group lessons is available and the club offers virtual spinning courses. McFIT and CityFit advertise their facilities to operate 24 hours 7 days a week.

McFIT’s standard contract with a monthly fee of slightly more than EUR 21 (PLN 89) has a term of 12 months. Additionally, an indefinite contract term with a three-month cancellation period is available at almost EUR 29 (PLN 119) per month. At the same time, customers can freeze their contracts up to six calendar months per year. McFIT’s members furthermore have access to the operators’ more than 200 facilities in other countries. Like the refurbished clubs in Germany, the new club has an extended offering including e.g. cyber training, based on indoor cycling and vibration training, as well as a sling zone.

CityFit follows a slightly different business model which is similar to the one of The Gym Group and Pure Gym in the United Kingdom. It aims to sell its memberships online and does not require a fixed, long-term contract for membership. “We focus on the core of fitness, without additional features like wellness or swimming pools, and supported by new technology, which lowers the cost of services, we are able to offer the clients the highest value in fitness club and to fill in that gap in the market”, says Nicholas Moses, Managing Director of CityFit. The operator relies on fitness technology solutions comprising e.g. virtual trainers and fingerprints identification in order to enter the club.

In Poland the fitness market is still very fragmented: So far, there are only a few relatively small chain operators. Largest operator is Pure Jatomi with its 36 clubs. At the end of 2013, the chain provided its services to 190,000 members worldwide in 65 facilities mainly in Poland and Turkey. Altogether, there are 2,400 clubs in Poland with approximately 2.48 million members. A consolidation process seems to be already in progress and will be promoted by the ongoing professionalization of the industry, especially as a response to increased competition by the discount operators.