Pure Gym has launched in the US under the brand Pure Fitness, with the first three locations having opened in the Washington DC area as part of a cluster rollout.

Pure Fitness clubs will operate as part of the Pure Gym Group alongside sister brands Fitness World in Denmark and Swiss-based Basefit.

Wider US expansion is expected if the concept plays well with US consumers.

Speaking exclusively to HCM, Fit Tech's sister magazine, Francine Davis, chief strategy officer at Pure Gym, said: “The US fitness market is one of the world’s largest. Our first priority is to open an initial portfolio of clubs and assess their locations. Pending their success, we have ambitious plans to develop many more sites across the US.”

The company is banking on its app – which includes 24/7 digital classes and was named Health and Fitness app of the year at 2021’s UK App Awards – to support the growth of a robust membership base.

“We’re filling the gap in the market for high-quality, technology-enabled gyms with an app to help members choose the best time to visit the gym, provide contactless entry with a QR scanner and a library of 400-plus on-demand workouts,” said Davis. “We’re really excited to have launched in the US and think there’s the potential for us to open a significant number of gyms over the next few years.”

Washington DC was chosen for the launch after the company considered the top 30 metro markets in the US.

“Our analysis highlighted the Washington DC region as one of the strongest in terms of economic strength, competitive landscape, good demographics and high propensity to take part in fitness,” Davis said. The clubs are located at Tysons Corner, Elkridge and Springfield.

Pure Fitness will offer low-budget memberships at US$9.99 per month with a US$1 joining fee following the flexible, contract-free model that has proven successful in the UK and Europe.

Pure Fitness is now looking for “well-capitalised franchise partners” to get involved in its US rollout. “The Pure Gym Group now has a presence in five markets, and we hope to continue our expansion in the years ahead,” said Davis.

In 2020 Pure Gym took its budget concept to Saudi Arabia, under the brand Pure Gym KSA, as part of a franchise partnership with Ektimal. Around 40 clubs are planned for major cities by the end of 2025, with the first having already opened in Riyadh.

The company currently has more than 500 clubs and over 1.7 million members across its three brands, in the five countries.

Footnotes

Back in December 2021 HCM reported that Pure Gym had scrapped plans for an IPO, opting instead to raise £300m through an equity deal with investment firm, KKR, to reduce debts accrued during the COVID-19 pandemic. The company’s capital has been used to grow Pure Gym’s existing markets and springboard into new ones.

Pure Gym's global expansion plans previously included investment in the Polish health and fitness market, however, the company closed these operations during the height of the pandemic, with the clubs being acquired by corporate wellness operator, Benefit Systems.