PureGym bulks up with £235m Swiss expansion
PureGym is muscling in on the Swiss gym market after signing a £235m deal to bulk up its presence in the European country. The gym operator, which is the UK’s largest by membership, has agreed to acquire NonStop Gym, one of Switzerland’s biggest fitness groups. PureGym’s latest expansion comes as the no-frills gym operator seeks [...]
PureGym, the UK’s largest gym chain, is expanding its presence in Switzerland with a £235m deal to acquire NonStop Gym, one of the country’s biggest fitness groups. This strategic move aims to bolster PureGym’s global footprint, which currently stands at nearly 500 gyms in the UK. The Leeds-based operator will take control of NonStop Gym’s 47 sites, in addition to its existing 49-site estate in Switzerland.
CEO Alex Wood expressed admiration for NonStop Gym’s team and the acquisition’s potential for growth. The deal will create a truly national operator in Switzerland, combining NonStop Gym’s locations in French- and Italian-speaking regions with PureGym’s presence in the German-speaking areas. This acquisition follows PureGym’s recent $121m purchase of US fitness operator Blink Fitness, expanding the company’s North American reach to 61 gyms.
Wood emphasized that this acquisition is a crucial step in PureGym’s international growth strategy. As of now, PureGym has 2.4 million members and operates over 700 gyms across the UK, Denmark, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and now Switzerland. The company is owned by Leonard Green & Partners, with KKR holding a minority stake. Meanwhile, Gym Group, PureGym’s main budget rival, is focusing on strengthening its UK presence, aiming to open 75 more sites in the next three years.
A previous £300m merger proposal between Gym Group and PureGym was thwarted by the UK’s competition watchdog in 2014.
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