Gyms in Singapore hiit by a knockout punch

FROM big-box gyms to high intensity interval training (HIIT) boutique studios, Singapore’s fitness landscape has seen a significant shake-up of late.

Home-grown boutique fitness gym Ritual is the latest casualty. It abruptly shut all its four branches in Singapore on Thursday (Feb 29); the company Cheat Day, which owns and operates Ritual Gym, has been voluntarily placed under provisional liquidation.

The Business Times takes a look at other gyms that have called it a day over the past 20 months:

1. Pure Fitness and Pure Yoga at Suntec City

Pure Fitness and Pure Yoga’s branches at Suntec City shut their doors in October 2023, after struggling to achieve sustainable membership numbers.

The Hong Kong-headquartered group said it would be reallocating resources and staff to its other clubs at Asia Square and Ngee Ann City.

But some members who had paid for unlimited club access were reportedly unhappy about what they perceived as “diminished” value in their memberships, due to the drop in the number of locations.

The Suntec City closure marks Pure Group’s third over the past two years. Pure Yoga Republic Plaza shut its doors in November 2022, while Pure Fitness Ocean Financial Centre shut earlier in March 2022. The group added that it is not exiting from Singapore, and will continue looking for expansion opportunities.

Other big-box gym chains have been downsizing too. Both Fitness First and True Group shut two branches each in 2022, while Virgin Active quietly closed its Duo Galleria club in December 2023.

2. Fenix Fitness

Personal training gym Fenix Fitness at Raffles Place was placed under provisional liquidation in August 2023, after owing S$5 million to about 400 creditors.

This amount included unconsumed packages and memberships, payments to vendors, as well as loans taken on by the owners of Gym Alliance – the company that operates Fenix Fitness.

According to the latest financial results seen by BT, Gym Alliance posted a net loss of S$732,581 and revenue of S$51,075 for its full year ended Dec 31, 2021.

The company had total assets of S$1.9 million and total liabilities of S$2.1 million as at Dec 31, 2021. It generated a negative cash flow of S$997,155 from operating activities.

3. boOm Singapore

Established in 2017, functional training and boxing studio boOm was a popular spot for office-workers in the central business district.

But the boutique gym informed customers that it would be shutting its sole outlet at Cecil Street in end-June last year, due to a “massive” rent hike. This left customers less than a week to use their packages.

In a post on Instagram, boOm’s co-founder Bryan Tay said: “Unfortunately, this is not by choice, but rather we are being forced out of our current location due to a massive increase in rent which renders the operation no longer feasible.”

He added that the studio’s winding-down had to “start right away” as the reinstatement of the space was scheduled to take “much longer than expected, at a very high cost”. Customers would have their remaining package values refunded, he said.

4. Haus Athletics

Boutique fitness studio Haus Athletics shut both of its branches at Cross Street Exchange and OUE Downtown Gallery in May 2023, citing financial difficulties and changes in market conditions post-pandemic.

Its operating company, Haus Lifestyle, was placed under creditors’ voluntary liquidation. The company owed S$1.8 million to some 268 provisional creditors, many of whom were studio members.

Opened in September 2017, Haus Athletics offered high intensity interval training and strength-based group classes. It was co-founded by Reagan Kang, a former Malaysia national swimmer and bodybuilding champion.

5. UFC Gym

Police reports were lodged against UFC Gym – the franchise of US-based Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) – after it shut both its City Square and CityLink branches allegedly without prior notice.

Some UFC Gym members had reportedly made upfront payments for packages worth between S$1,200 and S$3,800.

UFC’s City Square branch shuttered in 2022 after sustaining losses from the Covid-19 pandemic.

Then in February 2023, members were told that the flagship CityLink branch would be temporarily closed for renovations. But it was only when the space was taken over by an Anytime Fitness outlet in May 2023, that they said they realised something was amiss.

Shortly after, UFC Gym’s chief executive Adam Sedlack told other media that it was keen to re-enter the Singapore market and was working on providing concessions to impacted customers.

6. Kyklos Studio and X Fitness

Customers were left stranded when Kyklos Studio and its affiliated brand X Fitness shut down overnight in September 2022. Atlas Ang, owner of Kyklos Studio and its affiliated brand X Fitness, was said to be uncontactable.

At that time, several users flagged that they were unable to get refunds for spin and yoga packages – ranging from S$200 to S$600 – they had purchased. Freelance instructors were also allegedly owed salaries by Ang.

Kyklos Studio and X Fitness conducted their classes across GR.iD mall in Dhoby Ghaut, Tekka Place in Serangoon and Hougang Sports Hall.