Fitness First is a well-recognised gym and fitness club brand in Australia, offering a wide range of workout facilities, group classes, personal training, and membership plans. Many aspiring business owners in the health and fitness sector may wonder whether Fitness First offers franchise opportunities — specifically, can you buy a Fitness First club and operate it under their brand? The answer is: Fitness First does not offer franchise opportunities in Australia.
Company Ownership Model
Fitness First operates its clubs under a company-owned model rather than a franchise model. This means the company itself owns and manages the clubs, makes decisions about locations, staffing, branding, services and operations, rather than licensing independent owners to operate individual outlets under a franchise agreement. Individuals wanting to join a Fitness First club would typically become members or apply for employment or management roles, not become owner-operators.
By maintaining full ownership of its clubs, Fitness First retains direct control over all aspects of its business, ensuring brand consistency, service standards and operational alignment across all locations. It also means that the business model, investment structure and profit model are entirely internal, rather than being offered as an investment vehicle to franchisees.
Reasons for No Franchise Offer
Choosing not to franchise gives Fitness First the ability to standardise processes, manage staffing, training, equipment, programming, memberships and promotional campaigns centrally. This unified approach allows the brand to maintain a consistent user experience across all locations, whether metropolitan or regional. The company can implement changes, introduce new services or adjust its business strategy without needing to coordinate with multiple franchise owners.
For prospective business owners seeking to enter the fitness industry via a recognised brand and operate their own club, the fact that Fitness First is not franchising means that route is not available. Such investors would need to either purchase or start an independent gym business or look for other brands that explicitly offer franchise models.
Implications for Aspiring Owners
If your goal is to own and operate a gym under the Fitness First name, this will not be possible because the brand does not sell franchises. Instead, opportunities with Fitness First will be employment focused or at best, management of a club under the company umbrella. For entrepreneurs wanting to invest in a fitness club business under an established national brand, it would be necessary to explore other gym franchise networks that actively provide franchise opportunities.
Prospective gym owners should consider the many other brands in the Australian market which do franchise, including some that specialise in boutique, women’s-only or 24/7 format gyms. It’s important to research investment required, support provided, territory availability, fees and business projections when looking at franchise opportunities in fitness.
Conclusion
In summary, Fitness First is a well-known and substantial gym chain in Australia, offering quality facilities, many locations and a strong brand presence in the fitness industry. However, it does not offer franchise opportunities. All of its clubs are company-owned and operated, meaning that owning a Fitness First club under a franchise arrangement is not an option. For those seeking gym ownership via a franchise model, it will be necessary to look beyond Fitness First to other brands that provide franchising.
