Gyms are scaling up
Planet Fitness was named one of Entrepreneur’s fastest-growing franchises for 2026, signaling continued demand for mass-market gyms (prnewswire.com). Meanwhile, Workout Anytime is expanding by converting existing centers with institutional backing, CR Fitness is relaunching its summer ‘Conquer Challenge’ member competition, and World Gym rolled out a branded apparel line with Philcos—together these moves show fitness brands are diversifying growth and engagement strategies (prnewswire.com) (prnewswire.com) (prnewswire.com).
Planet Fitness closed 2025 with roughly 20.8 million members and opened 181 new clubs during the year, bringing system-wide total clubs to 2,896 as of December 31, 2025. (investor.planetfitness.com (investor.planetfitness.com)) The company reported full-year system‑wide same‑club sales growth of 6.7% in 2025 and placed equipment in 152 new franchised locations last year, while industry reporting says Planet Fitness plans to add nearly 200 more locations through 2026. (investor.planetfitness.com (investor.planetfitness.com)) (bisnow.com (bisnow.com)) Workout Anytime’s conversion play launched with its first independent-gym conversion in Pearl, Mississippi, backed by an institutional-capital partner that previously aggregated more than 200 dental practices. (prnewswire.com (prnewswire.com)) The Workout Anytime partners committed multi‑million‑dollar capital and outlined plans to acquire or develop up to eight additional locations across Mississippi as part of a concentrated Southeast “hub‑and‑spoke” expansion. (prnewswire.com (prnewswire.com)) CR Fitness Holdings is relaunching the Conquer Challenge across 93 participating Crunch Fitness clubs with $17,000 in cash prizes, a club‑level cap of up to 100 competitors per location, and a Qualifier Round scheduled for June 6, 2026. (prnewswire.com (prnewswire.com)) The month‑long Conquer Challenge program (registration April 1–30) charges $50 per entrant, includes two personal‑training sessions, and advances finalists to regional finals on June 20 at eight named regional sites across Florida, Georgia, Texas and North Carolina. (prnewswire.com (prnewswire.com)) World Gym’s exclusive licensing deal with Philcos covers manufacturing and distribution for a branded apparel line and targets rollout through major North American retailers, with Abercrombie & Fitch slated in March, La Maison Simons in April and Urban Outfitters in May. (prnewswire.com (prnewswire.com)) Philcos—whose licensing resume includes the NFL and McDonald’s—will push World Gym merchandise into online and brick‑and‑mortar channels after the agreement, while World Gym continues to operate an international network of more than 280 locations. (prnewswire.com (prnewswire.com))
