Purpose Brands is plotting a major European expansion push
France, Germany and the UK are prime growth territories
Orangetheory is transitioning into a lower-capex model ahead
The group's global marketing is shifting away from weight loss toward health span and longevity metrics
Anytime Fitness opened more than one club a day in 2025 and is on track to maintain this rate of growth this year, as parent company Purpose Brands targets further international expansion.
The global franchise group, which has 5,800 Anytime Fitness locations across 40 markets, has a relatively small European footprint of 465 clubs, with France, Germany and the UK identified as key growth opportunities.
Speaking to HCM, Sander van den Born, executive vice president of international at Purpose Brands, said: “If you look at the ‘big five’ European markets, we're established in Italy and Spain.
“We see an uptick in growth, with Italy on track for 75 clubs by the end of the year and Spain well into the 60s. Our major untapped opportunities are France, Germany and the UK.”
The expansion strategy will also involve other brands in the Purpose Brands portfolio, including Orangetheory Fitness (OTF), which is currently operating in the UK, Germany and Spain.
A master franchise agreement has been to take the brand to Italy with a smaller footprint model., with the brand also evolving its model to support growth through a smaller-footprint format.
“We're in the process of an evolution of that product, which we call Studio OTF,” said van den Born. “It features a lower capex and opex model to help our franchisees thrive.
“We're working to transition the UK, Germany and Spain into this new model.”
Stacy Anderson, president of Anytime Fitness, said the integration of Self Esteem Brands and Orangetheory Fitness has now been completed following the US$3.7 billion merger which created Purpose Brands.
She said the two businesses bring complementary strengths, with Orangetheory contributing expertise in technology, innovation and heart-rate-based training, while Anytime Fitness adds international franchise infrastructure.
“Orangetheory is built on innovation, heart-rate monitoring and strong technology, while Anytime Fitness has this amazing international expansion infrastructure,” said Anderson.
“We've done a really nice job of pulling together the best talent of each business. Right now, we're bringing the structure and discipline of Anytime Fitness over to Orangetheory.”
The group is also evolving its proposition around healthspan, longevity and preventative health outcomes, using member data to personalise support.
“People will tell more about their health and wellness to their gym than they will to their doctor,” said Anderson.
“We're body-composition scanning members every day, so we know more about their lean muscle mass and visceral fat than most doctors do. We're protecting that data, but using it to focus on health outcomes.
“It’s not just about losing weight anymore. Consumers are talking about healthspan and longevity. They want capability for ageing, and we're building our brands around that.”
Purpose Brands is targeting 10,000 locations globally across its portfolio, with Anytime Fitness expected to reach 8,000 clubs and eight million members by 2030.
“We believe Anytime Fitness alone will hit 8,000 locations and eight million members by 2030, and we can get to the 10,000-club mark with our existing brands alongside tactical acquisitions along the way,” said van den Born.
“The UK is a great opportunity for us, and a lot of club remodels are happening right now.
“About a quarter of our total network is targeted for a facelift to drive performance, catching up to the US system where roughly half of the estate is being remodelled.”
