INTERVIEW JUSTIN MCDONELL
Anytime Fitness: Repositioning & gearing for growth
How are your clubs evolving? The Anytime Fitness brand has always had strong convenience credentials, but its positioning within the UK market hasn’t always been clear. This is a key focus for us right now. We’re elevating our brand to a ‘premium convenience’ price point and market positioning and ramping up compliance and expectations around product quality. In the process, we’re improving consistency across the estate; at the moment, we see signi cant variation between clubs. Design plays a key role here. Our earlier club designs had a more American style and felt a little dated. Our new concept has a more contemporary European feel, with cleaner lines and the sort of considered lighting you’d commonly nd in premium hospitality settings. The environment feels more re ned and considered. We’re also investing heavily in equipment quality, working only with Precor and Life Fitness. We’re not trying to compete with the breadth of offering or the extra frills – such as spas and towels – that you nd at high-end clubs such as David Lloyd or Third Space. However, in the areas we do focus on, our members will train on equipment that is equivalent to, or better than, that of many premium clubs. What trends are you exploring? Recovery is an area that’s growing exponentially and is something we’re leaning into across the Anytime Fitness brand globally. We’re allocating recovery spaces in all new club designs. At a smaller club, that might
After nearly two decades building Anytime Fitness across Australia, Collective Wellness Group has turned its attention to the UK & Ireland, taking a controlling stake in the British business last year. Chair Justin McDonell believes the market offers significant growth potential, especially when combined with a focused and compelling brand proposition. Here he discusses how Anytime Fitness is responding to UK trends and why franchising continues to be a powerful model in the sector.
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STATE OF THE UK FITNESS INDUSTRY REPORT 2026
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