Planet 1 Fitness
Nell Barreto
Some gyms across the nation are closing, but that doesn't mean you can't workout. Planet Fitness, one of the nation's largest chain gyms, is offering free online classes starting today, because of the coronavirus pandemic.
"Our daily routines have changed in unexpected ways, and we know that people may not be able to get to the gym. That's why we're offering a free, daily virtual fitness class for everyone on Planet Fitness' Facebook page from Monday through Friday," said Jeremy Tucker, chief marketing officer of Planet Fitness, in a statement to USA TODAY.
The workouts will be live-streamed at 7 p.m. ET each day for the next two weeks. And if you can't make it live, the workouts will be available on-demand on Facebook and in Planet Fitness' YouTube channel. No equipment is needed, and the classes last 20 minutes or less.
Tucker said that virtual classes "will be led by Planet Fitness certified trainers, as well as special guests like 'The Biggest Loser' coach and fitness trainer Erica Lugo, among others. The home workouts will offer tools to combat stress, while providing motivation and inspiration sure to keep us all physically and mentally fit."
Planet Fitness, Inc. is an American franchisor and operator of fitness centers based in Hampton, New Hampshire.[4] The company has around 2,400 clubs,[2] making it one of the largest fitness club franchises by number of members and locations. The franchise has locations in the United States, Canada, Dominican Republic, Panama, Mexico, and Australia.[5] It markets itself as a "Judgement Free Zone" that caters to novice and casual gym users, and has faced both praise[citation needed] and criticism for its atmosphere.
In 1992, Planet Fitness founders, Michael and Marc Grondahl acquired a struggling Gold's Gym franchise in Dover, New Hampshire.[6] They eventually closed that original location, opened a gym called Coastal Fitness and brought on a third partner, former CEO Chris Rondeau.[7][8][6] In 2002, they purchased the rights to the name Planet Fitness from Rick Berks and renamed their franchise.[9][6]
Berks had started his own Planet Fitness gym in 1993 in Sunrise, Florida, and eventually expanded it to three clubs, along with a Gold's Gym franchise.[10][11] Berks had been catering to the bodybuilding culture in his Gold's Gym. "I decided I didn't want to deal with that crowd, so that's when I opened the original Planet Fitness club in Sunrise, Florida, in 1993." The name came from his daughter's school project, "Fitness Planet".[12] Berks later went on to open the first Youfit Health Club in St. Petersburg, Florida.[13]
Planet Fitness' business model focuses on the needs of occasional or first-time health club members, rather than more experienced members,[14] and depends on many members rarely showing up.[15] According to a Planet Money episode from 2014, "half of the Planet Fitness members don't ever go to their gyms."[16] In 2003, Planet Fitness opened its first franchised location in Florida.[17]
As early as March 2015, the "Judgement Free Zone" policy was expanded to allow trans women to use the women's locker room. The policy states that "members and guests may use all gym facilities based on their sincere self-reported gender identity."[20]
In the fall of 2013, TSG Consumer Partners LLC became an equity partner in the Planet Fitness franchise.[21] Michael Grondahl, co-founder of Planet Fitness stepped down as CEO, and was succeeded by Chris Rondeau.[22][23] The company went public on August 6, 2015.[24]
In 2020, the company received criticism for charging its customers for March dues "despite closing its facilities nationwide due to the novel coronavirus pandemic."[25] They stated that they were unable to stop the pre-scheduled payments on short notice, but would not charge future monthly dues until they reopen, and would also provide a credit for closed days previously paid for.[26]
A no-frills membership for new customers will cost $15 per month, up from the $10 it had been priced at since 1998. The price hike will go into effect this summer. Current members, who joined at $10 per month, will continue to pay that amount until the membership expires, the fitness company said in its first quarter earnings call Thursday.
"It will take some time for the benefit of the price change to expand our store level margins as the price increase will only be on new classic card memberships," PlanetFitness CFO Tom Fitzgerald, who is retiring in August, said on the earnings call.
The membership price hike comes amid "several headwinds" affecting the company's results. Executives acknowledged consumers' focus on saving money, COVID-related concerns, as well as a failed advertising campaign.
The 50% price hike comes after price-testing costs in multiple markets. "We use a disciplined data-driven approach to determine the best balance between the higher dues while minimizing loss of membership. Based on our learnings, we decided to change the price of the classic card to $15," PlanetFitness CEO Craig Benson said on the earnings call.
Fitness franchises around the world are taking off, and for good reason. More people than ever are interested in getting and staying fit, so ambitious entrepreneurs can tap into the franchise industry to take advantage of this trend and start independent fitness studios.
The Planet Fitness workout studio franchise began in 1992 when Michael Grondahl purchased a New Hampshire gym that was already failing. He turned around by cutting prices, revamping business procedures and providing new ways to work out for its patrons.
The result? Long-term success. There are now hundreds of Planet Fitness studios around the country, led by current CEO Chris Rondeau, giving people a chance to work out and get fit, plus use expensive gym equipment with affordable subscription prices.
These start with newsletters, access to meetings and conventions and toll-free customer support. This gives business owners the tools to contact corporate at any time, build up their support networks and meet with other franchisees to share successful strategies.
Your marketing support includes regional and national media advertising assistance, ensuring that you align with the broader Planet Fitness brand marketing campaign yet also appeal to people in your local area. Additionally, Planet Fitness helps with grand opening marketing.
Planet Fitness provides you with online marketing assistance, too. You can access specially branded ad templates to create persuasive, high-performing advertisements without making them from scratch.
Starting a Planet Fitness franchise could be an excellent business opportunity, but you must meet the cash requirements. The initial investment for this business model can be pricey for first-time entrepreneurs. You need a good amount of liquid capital depending on your franchise location, advertising fees and the number of members.
Terms of agreement are for 10 years and are renewable, which can be beneficial as you pay off the cost of real estate and fitness equipment, which are standard fitness club expenses and increase your initial franchise business costs.
You can get financing to cover your new fitness studio's startup costs and equipment. Since these represent some of the significant expenditures new business owners must consider, this is no small benefit.
Furthermore, Planet Fitness, as a franchisor, sometimes requires franchisees to send their employees to extra training courses. These additional training courses may include ways to operate gym equipment and how to sell fitness sessions to customers.
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In this review, we break down the cost of a Planet Fitness membership, what to do if you need to cancel a Planet Fitness membership, and a personal experience of trying a facility as a guest. You may not decide to join one in your area based on our review, but at least you'll have some knowledge about how the Planet Fitness processes work, what their facilities are like, and the atmosphere itself before you go for a personal experience.
The Black Card membership is what PF heavily promotes. It comes with all the above benefits as well as virtual fitness training, permission to bring a guest for free, access to any PF location worldwide, and services located in the Black Club area, such as water massage, massage chairs, red light therapy, tanning beds, and 50 percent discounts on select beverages they sell.
The Classic membership is $10 a month and the PF Black Card membership costs $24.99 a month. There is also a one-time enrollment fee, but the staff person I spoke with informed me that the fee changes daily. On the day I visited, I could've signed up for the Classic membership for an enrollment fee of $62.98, or I could've become a PF Black Card member by paying $37.15. Some days it could be less, others may be more, and if there is a promotion going on, there may be no cost at all.
Outside of the one-time enrollment fee, there is also an annual payment of $39 that must be paid on October 1st of every year that you're a member. All payments for Classic and PF Black Card memberships must be paid by automatic draft out of your bank account or credit card. You can't pay monthly fees in advance.
If you have to move away, or if you simply wish to cancel your membership, you must sign a form at the location that you signed up at to confirm. There is no charge for canceling your membership, and you can even finish out the last month that was already drafted out of your account.
The lunk alarm is actually controlled by the staff, and they can sound the alarm from their desk if they feel you're making too much noise. Once the alarm is sounded, the management could potentially cancel your membership.
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