“Get Fit” at the forefront with digitization

The name “Get Fit” is currently on everyone's lips, not only among fitness enthusiasts. After all, the company operates 13 studios in the Main-Kinzig district and the surrounding area and also has seven franchisees throughout Germany. GNZ spoke to owner Eugen Leibman and “Operations Manager” Dogan Gündüz about the business concept, future plans and tips for beginners.

Main-Kinzig district. The newest studio in the Main-Kinzig district is just a few days old: On January 6, the “Get Fit-Jossgrund” opened its doors in tranquil Oberndorf. In January 2024 alone, four studio openings will be implemented in Hesse. “Get Fit-Preiswert Trainen GmbH” was founded in 2015, and the first studio opened in Wächtersbach in 2016.

Then as now, the concept was “inexpensive training,” says “Operations Manager” Dogan Gündüz. The 30-year bachelor's degree in fitness economics has been there from the start and owner Eugen Leibman's right and left hands says with a smile. The two have now opened over 20 Get Fit locations together.

Recipe for success: High performance, few staff

Leibmann, a state-recognized physiotherapist, had already opened a health center in Salmünster in 2012 with “orthofit GmbH”. The concept was primarily designed for people who value holistic care. The opening of the first Get Fit was about creating a cheaper offer that still offered a lot of performance. That happened back then in Wächtersbach. In addition, both come from the region, Leibman from Bad Soden-Salmünster and Gündüz from Aufenau. Wächtersbach was the perfect location in terms of catchment area and positioning.

By 2018, Eugen Leibman and his team continued to build up the site in Wächtersbach. They would have quickly realized that demand was extremely high. The fitness industry has also developed more and more towards studios being inexpensive and offering long opening hours and less support, but a higher range of services.

Unusually rapid expansion

The expansion of the company began in 2019, initially with the opening of studios in Steinau, in Heringen in East Hesse and in Sinntal. Bad Brückenau was also the first studio outside Hesse to open in 2019. “We had four openings in one year. It is very unusual in the industry to grow so quickly,” says Gündüz. Even during the corona pandemic, owner and managing director Eugen Leibman did not bury his head in the sand. In 2021, the company continued to expand and opened studios in Freiensteinau, Gedern and Oberursel.

GET FIT is also benefiting from digitization. In smaller towns such as Birstein or Jossgrund, the studio only works with a high level of automation and low personnel costs. Gündüz explains that you can attract many members with a small investment, which also makes studios in smaller towns economical. “Birstein and Jossgrund are 'smart studios, 'on the one hand in terms of size, but also because the studios are completely digitalized,” says Gündüz. “From membership to initial training, everything is automated,” says Leibman.

Staff and rent savings

The studios are heavily staffed, sometimes even staffless. This reduces one of the two major cost blocks for gyms: Staff. Get Fit is also pursuing a strategy when it comes to rent, the second major cost block. “Because there is a lot of vacancy in rural areas, landlords are happy that they have a tenant with whom they can plan for the long term,” says Leibman. This is an advantage of the fitness industry, compared to restaurants or retailers, for example.

There are now 13 separate “clubs” without a franchisee. Gündüz manages the “Daily Business” together with eight dual students, the marketing agency Santana Digital, his marketing expert Fabian Friedrich, also a bachelor of fitness economics and his temporary trainers at various locations. Gündüz is primarily responsible for the processes and procedures in both his own clubs and the franchise clubs. He says his strengths lie in identifying problems, taking on challenges, and delivering solutions. “For this reason, members, employees and franchisees call me the problem solver,” Gündüz says with a wink.

Eugen Leibmann is working on a book

Leibman is fully focused on expanding the franchise concept and, as brand ambassador, is responsible for the branding and growth of the “Get Fit Group.” For example, there is currently a separate book brochure: “Success in the Fitness Industry.” In it, the reader learns step by step what they need to consider when setting up a gym. The book is expected to be published in the first quarter of this year.

Leibman explains that there is no specific target group. Anyone who wants to exercise and wants to do fitness is welcome. The industry is changing away from a mere “mucki shack” to a lifestyle. “In the meantime, fitness has become something of a second home after work. You build a community and everyone is welcome there,” says Gündüz.

Get Fit Since 2023, franchises too

Today, the company is also represented in other parts of Germany, such as Berlin or Cologne. “We have noticed that demand is extremely high and that our concept works at several locations,” says Leibman. “That's why we decided to set up a franchise system.” It started in 2023. Franchisees receive a detailed concept from Get Fit. From the initial idea to the new opening, the franchise partners would be closely supported. Mistakes that Leibmann himself has made in self-employment in the company over the past twelve years would thus be avoided.

The company organizes a “Franchise Day” several times a year, during which interested parties are presented with a presentation of the various concepts and the participants visit different studio sizes together.

Fitness has now replaced soccer as the number one sport

Gündüz and Leibmann are not afraid that the fitness hype could be over in a few years. The sector is growing extremely, and Germany still has a lot of potential compared to other countries. More than twelve percent of Germans are now registered in a gym, meaning that fitness has even replaced soccer as number one. However, it is important to go with digitization, especially to involve the younger target group of “Generation Z”.

“In the medium term, we want to set up 50 locations over the next three years; in the long term, we want to be the top provider of micro-studio concepts in Germany with over 100 Get Fit locations,” are the ambitious goals of Leibman and Gündüz. For both of them, this is only a matter of time and discipline.

Vision of a digital gym

In doing so, digital paths should continue to be taken. “We have set up our own 'Get Fit Academy. ' Our goal is for us to have a local contact person in the studios three times a week during support hours who, among other things, can introduce new customers. In the background, we have a digital 'Academy', where we offer videos and online courses on various topics,” says Gündüz.

There, everyone can find out about the areas that are of interest to them. “In the long term, the goal is to offer support both digitally and in the studio at the best price-performance ratio. One example of this is a QR code on every device, which customers can scan with their mobile phones. The exercise is then explained in a video by a Get Fit trainer, adapted to our studio concepts,” says Leibman. In this way, you could cover all gyms with one video.

Opening in Bad Soden on January 27

If you want to see the concept for yourself, you can come to Bad Soden on Saturday, January 27. What is now the 20th location will be officially opened there. The next “Franchiseday” will take place on Thursday, February 22, at Birstein Castle. Eugen Leibman has a close relationship with the princely family of Isenburg, as he reveals. From 2011 to 2021, Leibman supervised Prince Alexander von Isenburg and Princess Sarah of Isenburg as personal trainers and physiotherapists.

source: GNZ

Link: https://www.gnz.de/lokales/main-kinzig-kreis/get-fit-wie-das-fitness-unternehmen-aus-dem-mkk-an-die-deutsche-spitze-will-RYT4RGZBMJHMZGXE2GPUHD5FRE.html