Virgin Active (Thailand), the local operator of the Virgin Active fitness chain, will open 16 new fitness clubs in suburban Bangkok and major provinces by 2021.
That will give it 20 branches in Thailand and will require investment of 5.2 billion baht. It has four gyms now: at Empire Tower on Sathon Road, Emquartier, CentralPlaza Westgate and Siam Discovery malls.
Matthew Bucknall, president and founder of Virgin Active Group in the UK, said he was confident the Thai operation will have rapid growth as the country surprisingly has the highest utilisation rate of active members in its global network, meaning those members who come to the clubs at least four to five times a week.
“Thailand is our primary investment focus together with Singapore in Asean,” he said.
The UK fitness chain plans to invest 2.6 billion baht to open 10 more fitness clubs in Singapore.
In Thailand, the latest branch at Siam Discovery worth 325 million baht was just opened on Aug 15 and gained attention for its size. At over 5,000 square metres, it is considered one of the biggest Virgin Active fitness clubs.
Each of the company’s branches should break even within six to nine months, depending on the size of investment.
Mr Bucknall said he wanted Virgin Active to become the Thai market leader in a few years, overtaking Fitness First and We Fitness Society.
The company targets generating 300 million baht per branch within three years.
Virgin Active has 4,700 active members at its club at Empire Tower in Sathon, 4,000 at Emquartier and 2,700 at Central Westgate. Some 90% of members are Thais.
The club’s strengths are an indoor swimming pool, rock climbing activities, six workout studios with 200 classes a week, a Himalayan salt inhalation room to cleanse the respiratory system and high-tech facilities, he said.
Its fee structure differs from competitors, charging 3,000 baht for entrance and a 700 baht weekly fee but without a long-term membership commitment.
Virgin Active plans to open its fifth club at CentralFestival EastVille on Praditmanutham Road in December, boasting the first fitness club for children in Asia there.
This source first appeared on Bangkok Post Lifestyle.