Entrepreneur Frank Böhme opened a new studio with an innovative concept in September 2022: The "Next Door by Just Fit" largely (93% of opening hours) manages without staff. The EGYM ecosystem is at the heart of the digitized studio, which enables fast and effective training around the clock. The concept is so popular with members that it broke even in just the fourth month after opening.
Learn all about it in the statement video:
<
Digitized training for the new urban target group
"Fitness has really managed to get to people recently. Fitness is as much a part of everyday life for these people as brushing their teeth. And that's why they want to do fitness without a lot of effort: in the gym, out of the gym, in a very compressed time frame, and more often."
This basic idea of Frank Böhme, managing partner of the Just Fit chain, was the basis for the new studio concept 'Next Door by Just Fit'. After 38 years of experience in the fitness industry, Frank discovered a new trend: "Our new concept appeals to a completely different and much broader target group. Urban training right outside the door, completely digitized, very convenient and almost staff-free."
In the first Next Door Studio in Cologne-Lindenthal, members can train in 300 square meters of studio space in a high-quality ambience and pleasant atmosphere. Frank: "For our Next Door Club, we deliberately wanted to offer something very special, and we wanted to usher in the digital age, thereby also without staff. In this context, EGYM is more than just a tool. EGYM is the linchpin of Next Door. Everything else has been developed after that, whether it was the digital registration formalities or digital access, whether it was Smart Cardio, the weights or personal trainer area - the core is clearly EGYM with the Fitness Hub."
Rapid profitability thanks to high footfall
It quickly became clear that the new studio concept was working. "In fact, of course, when you implement a new system like this, you also have a bit of concerns. But the success is really great. In fact, we're already in the black from the fourth month - and in 38 years in the fitness industry, I've never experienced that in such a form, that a club is already at break-even in the 4th month. That's the commercial part, which of course makes me very happy," Frank reports.
"In addition, we notice that people are enthusiastic about working out on the equipment, enthusiastic about using this system, and it doesn't matter what age group or what their goals are. We have really caught the zeitgeist. We now have over 300 members in the 300 sq. ft. studio space after 3 months, and are extremely successful in the aggregator business."
Members can digitally register themselves as members and work out independently every day from 6:00 am to midnight. Only three times a week is for three hours trainer on site. Frank: "We have only 7% of our long opening hours staff there. Conversely, this means that 93% of the time there is no staff, and it works. Nothing is stolen, nothing is destroyed. But that only works if you really set yourself up so digitally."
The few staff also has positive effects in economic terms: "While you normally see between 30 and 40% personnel costs in your BWA, Next Door is doing it with well under 10% personnel costs. And that makes it commercially very, very lucrative."
"Another advantage is that people are in the club for a very short time: only a third of the usual dwell time. Because of that fact, you can get a lot of people through the club in a day without it being overcrowded. In addition, members come more often and are more effective because the break times are shorter."
In addition, it can be observed at the Next Door Club that strength training has become a much higher priority than cardio training. With the Smart Strength equipment, Frank and team "made a conscious decision to go open mode so customers can use all that they ideally need to train and it accommodates a wide variety of different training methods."
Scalable franchise concept
Frank Böhme is already thinking bigger: "I believe that 'Next Door by Just Fit' is very scalable because it can be implemented almost anywhere people are concentrated - and that's the big charm! We want to prove that we can be so successful in more than just one location, which is why we plan to implement five more clubs in Cologne before the end of 2023. In addition, I have already received a lot of inquiries and we are giving a lot of thought to scattering Next Door as a franchise/license model throughout Germany in the market."
Conclusion of Frank Böhme
"The heart of Next Door is clearly EGYM, in combination with the Fitness Hub - that's what's so special about why we can offer this digital training the way we do.
After 4 months, the success is really great. We're already in the black and people are enthusiastically training on this equipment, enthusiastically using this system and loving the long opening hours."
Frank Böhme,Managing PartnerJust Fit & Next Door by Just Fit
Buy EGYM directly from the manufacturer
Source and image source: EGYM
Published on: 19 August 2023