George Flooks’ buzz words are ‘footprint’ and ‘going further’. During our interview, Fitness First Middle East’s CEO mentions them numerous times.
It’s almost as if he is verbally going through a gym workout, pounding the treadmill as he maps out the huge impact the fitness and health conglomerate has had in the region since Fitness First Middle East was founded 11 years ago.
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Incidentally, the early pitter-patter of footsteps in 2004 has since developed into a giant footprint, increasingly visible in the UAE and beyond.
Fitness First started as a single health and fitness club in Bournemouth, UK, in 1993. Now there are more than 400 clubs around the world, 61 of which are located in the Middle East, including the UAE, Bahrain, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Kuwait.
“Our vision is quite simple. We want to be the number one operator in every territory we operate,” said Flooks.
To assist the already largest privately owned health club group in the world expand its influence in this part of the world, Fitness First has undergone a rebranding. Owned by UK-based holding company Oaktree Capital Management, its strategy is to rebrand Fitness First globally and reposition it in some markets where it was in the low value market, to the upper-mid market.
“In the Middle East we’re already operating in the upper-mid market so our brand is more about a refresh,” said Flooks.
What the refresh means for the brand is, essentially, superficial. A change in colour from cool blue to energetic red. Reception areas will look different, changing rooms and wet areas will be upgraded and equipment refurbished. It’s a sequential process that introduces a different energy and a bit of excitement. What won’t change, however, is Fitness First’s plans to sustain and expand its Middle East footprint.
Flooks said: “In the UAE, we’re already positioned well and we’re not trying to move. Where we are is the perfect position for our brand.
“There won’t be new services. People know that Fitness First has been at the forefront of most of the fitness innovations in the Middle East. Most other health chains copy what we do. I’m happy with that because it serves the public and we want people to have the best fitness experience. We push really hard to make sure we stay abreast of the international trends and we’ll stay at the forefront of innovation.”
He likens Fitness First to other iconic brands that have undergone subtle rebrands over the years, such as Nike, who at one stage replaced the ‘swoosh’ from their products with the slogan ‘Just Do It’.
“Ours is a more strategic approach to reinvest across the whole portfolio and reposition the brand,” he said.
Fitness First Middle East was purchased by Landmark Group, a leading retail organisation in the Middle East and India, around five years ago. At that point there were 16 clubs in the UAE. Today, there are 30, half of the Middle East portfolio. It’s been an “aggressive expansion” according to Flooks.
He said: “We continue to see ourselves expanding in the UAE. Dubai and Abu Dhabi are very important. We’re now getting our footprint in Al Ain. We’re in Fujairah. We have a good footprint in Sharjah, we have a substantial footprint in the UAE. We’re not finished yet. I see the UAE growing to another 15 or 16 clubs.
“There’ll be ups and downs of course but that’s a good thing, because established businesses that are run correctly and know how to operate health clubs will be around for a long time. Businesses just trying to get into the market because they think it’s a great opportunity, will probably struggle in tough times.
“During good times everyone will be successful, there’ll be degrees of success. During tough times the people who are well positioned, who have a brand proposition, who deliver quality, are the ones who’ll be successful. Ultimately, you have to be better than your competitors.
“Warren Buffet (American business magnate) said ‘when the tide goes out you see who’s swimming naked’. When tough times come that will happen and we’ll ensure we’re not in that position. We’ll stay ahead.”
In many of its territories, Fitness First is already number one, but in others they have work to do, a challenge Flooks relishes. One of those is Saudi Arabia, where local brand Fitness Time and Body Masters have a bigger presence.
Congratulations to our 1st member of our brand new Platinum club,Vision Tower, #BusinessBay! #newclub #openingsoon pic.twitter.com/Yz8YHskzJA
— Fitness First (@FitnessFirstME) April 7, 2015
Flooks said: “We’re the little guy, the underdog muscling our way in but I like being the underdog because you can learn from everyone else. We want to make sure we get our proposition tailor made, fit and ready for that population group, because it’s not Dubai, it’s not Abu Dhabi, and it’s certainly not Kuwait. Over an extended period we want to be No1 in all these territories.
“Because Fitness First is an international brand, some of the benefits are that you have reciprocal usage of facilities. If you’re a member of Fitness First in Kuwait or Saudi Arabia and travelling to Dubai, there’s no reason why your fitness programme should stop.
“We’re not finished yet. I see the UAE growing to another 15 or 16 clubs.” – Flooks
“Hence the ‘Go Further’ tagline. We can help you go further because you can use multiple number of clubs in multiple number of countries. We see ourselves as the experts in the industry and all these benefits to the customer give our brand the edge.”
Something that has gone hand in hand with the growth and development of the brand in the UAE has been the willingness of the Emirati people to adopt a healthy lifestyle. In a country dominated by its expatriate population, where foreign nationalities outnumber locals by a ratio of roughly 9:1, Flooks is hugely encouraged about the numbers of Emiratis embracing the revolution.
“The step change in lifestyle with the local population has been at an exponential pace,” said Flooks.
“You see more and more Emiratis out exercising, which is a great thing. Our membership base is tremendously supported by the local population. It is not totally dominated by the expats. We’ve got clubs where more than 60 per cent and up to 80 per cent are locals.
“In Al Ain, it’s all local. Abu Dhabi is a very local brand too. There are lots of expats in Abu Dhabi Mall but in Dalma Mall, it’s pretty much a local population. In terms of our footprint we have a good balance.”
Going to the gym has historically formed part of a person’s daily exercise regime, but another way in which the Fitness First brand continues to innovate is through additional services, such as nutritional advice. Four certified nutrionists have been in place across four UAE Fitness First centres for a number of months. From May 1 that number will rise to nine. It’s all part of a process for Fitness First becoming a one-stop shop for a healthier lifestyle.
“People can exercise but if they want to know more about healthy eating and eating habits that compliment their exercise programme we’re the experts,” said Flooks.
“When you come to Fitness First you’re dealing with experts who can help you achieve your goals. When a customer joins us, as part of their induction, they have an hour-long session with a nutritionist. That’s part of the expertise we deliver.
“We don’t just want you to sit down with a personal trainer who can design a programme for you, we also want someone to sit down with you and share advice on nutrition. We want to marry the two, education is a big part our expertise.
“At Fitness First we have great gym facilities but now we also have the wellness component. We’re becoming a 360 solution to your programme. And that’s helping you go further, which underpins our brand significantly.”
