Anytime Fitness UK’s data-driven location tool sees success

The fitness franchise has been using its ‘Hot Locations’ tool to boost decision-making among new franchisees

An advanced location intelligence platform, called Hot Locations, has been helping Anytime Fitness UK franchisees to select the right territory for their business, according to the brand.

The tool was launched a year ago and is the result of an 18-month project which the franchise ran alongside a location intelligence provider to create a bespoke solution.

Hot Locations has been informed by data analysis on the common characteristics of existing successful clubs, and benchmarks locations against six criteria.

These include: volume of people, AI intelligence, competition, wealth, footfall, and existing club data.

Each area has a score which contributes to an overall location score, portrayed on a heat map of the UK.

Franchisees will be talked through the data with the franchise recruitment team in a scoping call.

Daniel Penn, head of network development at Anytime Fitness UK, said: “Like many franchises, location can be the difference between success and failure; it’s therefore critical we help our franchisees to get this right. Views on locations are often subjective, and Hot Locations helps mitigate preconceived and anecdotal opinions by providing rich levels of data that support or challenge their original views.

“This data-driven approach builds the franchisee’s confidence and aids their understanding of the market. It shows commitment and support from the central team – we’ve invested significantly in Hot Locations because we knew its potential, and we now use it in every conversation, at no additional cost to the franchisee.

“It also benefits existing franchisees who are looking to expand their number of clubs, often into locations that are lesser known to them.”

The gym franchise has reported Hot Locations has been a driving factor in franchisees’ decisions to join the network and yield strong results.

For example, Brixton broke the international pre-sales record in February, opening with more members than any other Anytime Fitness facility outside of the US.

Its Hot Locations score was 11, based on 188,000 people within a 2km radius, strong transport links, proximity to free parking, and low competition versus high population.

Cihan Gokensel, franchisee at Anytime Fitness Wickford, also commented: “I was really impressed by Hot Locations. It gave a level of detail that I wasn’t expecting, and it enabled me to look at locations that I hadn’t previously considered. The information is powerful and the context that the team provide when they take you through the data helps to understand it to another level – it’s what ultimately led me to choosing my first territory, as Hot Locations highlighted the potential for the location.

“I’ve previously worked in both fitness and property management, and I knew from my early conversations with the team that they knew what they were talking about. The process is really well thought-out; it was just four weeks from my initial conversation to confirming a territory, and Hot Locations played a key role in that.”

Following the success, Anytime Fitness UK plans to continue developing Hot Locations.