PureGym, the UK’s biggest gym group, has announced plans to open 200 new venues across the country and Switzerland. The group, which operates more than 600 gyms, with around 370 of these in the UK, said it also has plans to open a further 200 gyms across the UK and Switzerland, another key market, over the next three to four years. To begin the process, PureGym will open 40 to 50 new company-owned gyms this year, most of which will be in the UK. Over the next couple of months, the gym chain will open new sites in various locations across the country, including Harlow, Scarborough, and Kings Heath. The brand has already opened 10 new sites across the UK since January. PureGym has revealed that revenues grew 15% to £549 million for the year, compared with 2022. It said it also benefited from a rise in membership, which increased 11% across the business and 16% in the UK. Humphrey Cobbold, PureGym’s chief executive, has said the group has seen particularly strong performance from its new gyms in recent months, giving it confidence in its continued expansion programme. The company said it has made some pricing increases but that the cost per visit for customers has remained broadly flat as people have increased how regularly they use the gym. PureGym’s expansion plans come as several other major retailers are also expanding their presence on UK high streets. Aldi has announced that it will open 35 new UK stores as part of its long-term target of 1,500 stores in the UK. The supermarket is set to invest £550million in expanding its UK footprint this year alone. Asda has been opening hundreds of convenience stores in recent months as it looks to rival major players Tesco and Sainsbury’s. B&M plans to open ‘not less than’ 45 brand new stores across the UK in each of the next two consecutive years. The parent company of Bonmarché, Edinburgh Woollen Mill (EWM), and Peacocks, Purepay Retail Limited, has said it wants to open 100 new high street stores over the next 18 months. One of the UK’s favourite bakery chain, Greggs, has exclusively revealed to The Sun plans to open more outlet branches by the end of 2025. Home Bargains, which was running just under 600 branches as of last June, has said it wants to ‘eventually have between 800 and 1,000 retail outlets open’. Primark is also opening new branches and investing and renovating more than a dozen of its existing shops. Screwfix is set to open 40 new stores nationwide as its owner, Kingfisher, seeks to expand the DIY brand’s national presence. Tesco has revealed plans to open 70 more stores across the UK over the next year as part of major expansion plans. WHSmith has turned its focus to the travel side of its business, with plans to open new sites in airports, railway stations, and hospitals. Lidl is also looking to open 12 new stores across the UK as it bids to raise £91million in funding from investors.
PureGym to Open 200 New Gyms Across UK and Switzerland
