54550
  • Log in
The Daily Sceptic
No Result
View All Result
  • Articles
  • About
  • Archive
    • ARCHIVE
    • NEWS ROUND-UPS
  • Forum
  • Donate
  • Newsletter
The Daily Sceptic
No Result
View All Result

Fitness Chain “Burned About £500,000 per Day” After Losing 12% Of Members Through Lockdown

by Michael Curzon
21 April 2021 2:05 PM
Fitness Chain “Burned About £500,000 per Day” After Losing 12% Of Members Through Lockdown

Fitness chain PureGym suffered pre-tax losses of almost £215 million last year after the forced closure of its sites due to Government-imposed lockdowns. Large parts of the fitness industry fought to remain open during lockdowns with some gyms risking £10,000 fines by refusing to close their doors to customers. Before the second national lockdown, one gym owner said: “We should be doing everything we can to get people healthier and fitter,” adding that “gyms save the NHS”. But venues were forced to close, costing PureGym alone about £500,000 a day. The Mail has the story.

The Leeds-based company registered a massive 40% plunge in revenue during 2020 as gyms were shut for 44% of the year’s trading days. In pre-pandemic 2019, it recorded losses of around £40 million. 

Despite trying to strike a note of optimism after gyms in England reopened on April 12th, Chief Executive Humphrey Cobbold called the company’s trading performance “frankly awful” and “out of hands”. The financial statement exceeds his stated fears of a £120 million loss caused by shutdowns. 

PureGym reported seeing more than a million workouts completed across its 240 gyms in the first week of the roadmap as people try to shed unwanted pounds after being trapped inside for three months.

But in a statement released today, Mr Cobbold called 2020 “a very tough year” and blamed restrictions for “preventing us from trading” and causing “a severe impact on our financial performance”. He previously told the BBC that PureGym was “burning about £500,000 a day” due to “brutal” lockdowns. 

“We had to run a business with zero income for extended periods, a previously unthinkable scenario,” Mr Cobbold admitted today. “We had to make major operational changes in the tightest of time frames and alter our proposition in weeks that would have taken years in normal times.” …

PureGym is one of the biggest losers of the pandemic, with Covid restrictions hammering leisure, hospitality and travel industries hardest. 

Trade organisation ukactive has highlighted the impact of lockdowns on the nation’s health and the fitness industry in particular.

Polling by ukactive and ComRes suggested 42% of UK adults were sitting for at least 14 hours longer per week during lockdown.

A survey by ukactive of its members showed approximately 400 facilities had already been lost during the crisis, while lockdown had resulted in £90 million in lost membership fees each week.

January is normally a key period for new joiners and renewals and usually sees 30% growth.  

Worth reading in full.

Tags: fitnessgyms

Donate

We depend on your donations to keep this site going. Please give what you can.

Donate Today

Comment on this Article

You’ll need to set up an account to comment if you don’t already have one. We ask for a minimum donation of £5 if you'd like to make a comment or post in our Forums.

Sign Up
Previous Post

Border Officials Finding “100 Fake Covid Test Certificates a Day”

Next Post

Gove Ignores Pesky Mask Mandate

Subscribe
Login
Notify of
Please log in to comment

Profanity and abuse will be removed and may lead to a permanent ban.

8 Comments
Oldest
Newest Most Voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments

NEWSLETTER

To view today's newsletter click here

To receive our latest news in the form of a daily email, enter your details here:

DONATE

LISTED ARTICLES

  • Most Read
  • Most Commented
  • Editors Picks
News Round-Up

News Round-Up

1 July 2022
by Toby Young
Did Vaccines Really Save 500,000 Lives in the UK?

Did Vaccines Really Save 500,000 Lives in the UK?

2 July 2022
by Noah Carl
“There’s No Herd Immunity and Covid is Still Wreaking Havoc,” Says Imperial Professor of Immunology

“There’s No Herd Immunity and Covid is Still Wreaking Havoc,” Says Imperial Professor of Immunology

2 July 2022
by Will Jones
Halifax Customers Close Accounts in Response to Gender Pronouns Fiasco

Halifax Customers Close Accounts in Response to Gender Pronouns Fiasco

1 July 2022
by Toby Young
Why is the Scottish Government Trying to Silence Me?

Why is the Scottish Government Trying to Silence Me?

1 July 2022
by Lois McLatchie
News Round-Up

News Round-Up

39
Did Vaccines Really Save 500,000 Lives in the UK?

Did Vaccines Really Save 500,000 Lives in the UK?

35
“There’s No Herd Immunity and Covid is Still Wreaking Havoc,” Says Imperial Professor of Immunology

“There’s No Herd Immunity and Covid is Still Wreaking Havoc,” Says Imperial Professor of Immunology

32
Confessions of a Conservative Rebel

Confessions of a Conservative Rebel

23
The Ideological Capture of Nature and Why it Matters

The Ideological Capture of Nature and Why it Matters

3
“There’s No Herd Immunity and Covid is Still Wreaking Havoc,” Says Imperial Professor of Immunology

“There’s No Herd Immunity and Covid is Still Wreaking Havoc,” Says Imperial Professor of Immunology

2 July 2022
by Will Jones
How Governments Bullied Us During the Pandemic

How Governments Bullied Us During the Pandemic

1 July 2022
by Susan Broomhall
Confessions of a Conservative Rebel

Confessions of a Conservative Rebel

1 July 2022
by Nick Dixon
Pfizer Set to Seek Approval for Its Covid Vaccine in U.S. Babies This Winter

The Case Against Vaccinating Children Against Covid

30 June 2022
by Will Jones
Letter From a Teacher to the Conservative Party About Mask Mandates in Classrooms

Children Need to be Taught to See Through The Lies

30 June 2022
by Mark Shaw

POSTS BY DATE

April 2021
M T W T F S S
 1234
567891011
12131415161718
19202122232425
2627282930  
« Mar   May »

SOCIAL LINKS

Free Speech Union
The Daily Sceptic
  • Home
  • About us
  • Donate
  • Privacy Policy

Facebook

Twitter

Instagram

RSS

Subscribe to our newsletter

© 2022 Skeptics Ltd.

No Result
View All Result
  • Articles
  • About
  • Archive
    • ARCHIVE
    • NEWS ROUND-UPS
  • Forum
  • Donate
  • Newsletter

© 2022 Daily Sceptic.

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Create New Account!

Please note: To be able to comment on our articles you'll need to be a registered donor

Already have an account?
Please click here to login Log In

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In
wpDiscuz
You are going to send email to

Move Comment