31 May 2022
RSG exits Polish market to focus on US growth
BY Frances Marcellin
Medicover, the private medical insurance provider, has acquired the Polish network of budget gym mega-brand McFit, owned by RSG Group. There are 14 McFit clubs in Poland across ten cities, including Warsaw, Wroclaw, Katowice and Szczecin. The deal brings the size of Medicover’s steadily growing gym network to 106.
“This is a significant transaction for us, one we've been waiting for, which further drives our dynamic growth in this segment,” said Artur Białkowski, MD of business services at Medicover.
“We've admired this network because it's considered to be one of the best in the world. McFit clubs, with their community, design and dedicated staff create the future of fitness as the biggest sport in the world. Now our customers have a phenomenal opportunity to benefit from this experience – all within the Medicover Sport package.”
There are 268 McFit clubs in Europe overall and RSG Group will continue ownership of the remaining gyms in Germany, Spain, Italy and Austria.
Vito Scavo, COO at RSG Group, said the reason for the transaction is so RSG Group can focus on expanding its fitness brands in the US market.
“In 2014, we opened our first McFit studio in Warsaw, marking another important milestone for RSG Group in Europe. With a fantastic team, we've opened 14 locations in Poland and led them to success – something we're very proud of,” said Scavo. “However, the acquisition of the Gold’s Gym brand in July 2020 has made RSG Group the world’s number one fitness brand, changing our engagement in other markets, with a growing focus on North America.”
RSG's acquisition of Gold’s Gym gave it a network of 61 owned and 600 franchised clubs. Founded in 1965, the Gold's Gym brand has a strong US presence, as well as locations in countries all over the world.
In an exclusive interview with HCM magazine last year, Rainer Schaller, CEO of RSG Group, explained that company-owned gyms in the US – with the exception of California – were significantly less affected by pandemic-related studio closures than gyms in Europe.
In March 2021 RSG Group extended its John Reed brand portfolio – known for its nightclub vibe, live DJs and immersive lighting – by opening in Los Angeles ahead of launching in the UK (London Liverpool Street) and other European markets, such as Istanbul and Paris.
“The US, and especially Los Angeles, is the cradle of fitness and the strongest market in the world,” Schaller told HCM commenting on the John Reed expansion. “We’ll continue to look for opportunities to grow the John Reed footprint in the US, however, while there are numerous locations that make sense at this point, we’ll take our time so as not to compromise the authenticity of the brand or the experience, just for the sake of growth.”
RSG Group launched its second US-based John Reed club in Dallas in February 2022, which became the 42nd John Reed club worldwide.
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