Anytime Fitness Announces Franchise Agreement in Japan
Anytime Fitness, an international health club chain, has recently announced a master franchise agreement for Japan, which was a year in the making. The announcement comes on the heels of its plans to open clubs in the United Kingdom and Ireland.
The master franchise group in Japan is comprised of several individuals with extensive experience in the international fitness industry. Fast Fitness Japan, Inc. will now do business as Anytime Fitness Japan. The consortium is led by Toru Yamazaki, former CEO of Megalos, the fifth largest health club chain in Japan (a subsidiary of Japanese corporate giant, Nomura Real Estate Group).
Yamazaki assembled the master franchise team, including:
• Akira Okuma, Chairman - Largest investor, and an expert in real estate development
• Joe Plastino, Vice President of Corporate Strategy and Business Development - A 20+ year veteran of the health and fitness industry
• Koji Akiya, Vice President of Sales & Marketing - 20+ years in managerial roles in the health and fitness industry
• Atsuyuki Tsuchiya, Vice President of Operations - Industry veteran in health club operations and management
Yamazaki and his team will continuously monitor trends to determine additional geographic locations, but he expects the concept to thrive in locations where Anytime Fitness has been successful in the U.S. — suburban markets near larger cities and smaller towns where the market for Anytime Fitness club exists but where no health clubs are currently located.
The Japanese fitness market appears ripe for expansion. There is a much lower penetration of gym memberships - only three to four percent of the population as members of gyms, versus fifteen percent in the U.S. The first location is expected to open in Greater Tokyo by September 2010, with future aims to have 30 clubs operational by 2012 and over 300 within ten years. The average club size will be smaller due to scarce land and expensive real estate, and basic adaptations will be made to address cultural differences.
Popularity: 5% [?]
