News, Netavisen | Fresh Fitness Members “Sold” to Sats: – Brutal message to receive

The newspaper online: – It was a brutal message to receive. Suddenly we lost the exposure we had in our immediate environment and many of us became angry and resentful, says Tyne Cecilia Holm of Colbotn to The newspaper online.

At the end of November, it was announced that Sats-owned Fresh Fitness would stop offering group classes at all but six of its gyms.

Fresh Fitness says: “A concrete date for the liquidation has not been set yet, but the liquidation will take place in the near future.” Websites.

Holm documented the liquidation process on his blog, Helcytin.Noand even attended his last group class in December.

– Where I trained, there were some fanatics who continued to take group lessons until Christmas. Now in January I started training at SATS,” says Holm.

Sent to SATS

In November, Fresh Fitness members who had group training included in their membership were offered to switch to rival Sats chain. In an email seen by Nettavisen, Fresh Fitness wrote:

“Would you like to continue with group training? Regarding the discontinuation of offering group lessons, you still have the opportunity to get a good price for membership in Sats. As an existing Smart member, you can train at Sats for NOK 449 per month.»

Holm received a similar email from his training center with the same offer, and was one of those who took advantage of it.

– It's been a long time for me. I didn't really want to switch, but it was completely out of the question for me to train at Fresh without offering group lessons, she says.

However, she does not know how long Holm will be allowed to train at SATS for NOK 449.

“I have sent emails to both Sats and Fresh about when the offer will end, but have not received a clear answer,” she says. The newspaper online.

Holm is generally critical of the administration's handling of the liquidation.

– It was ridiculous that the offer was taken away from us. The way they did it, with secrecy from the top and a short deadline for notification of the move to SATS, was remarkable, she says.

The offers suddenly disappeared

According to former Fresh Fitness member Anita Robøle, she was initially offered a price guarantee which was later removed. It has no fixed duration in SATS.

– In the first email we received, we were told that the price guarantee was for six months, but in the next email suddenly there was nothing about it. I really wonder how long the show will last,” she told Netafisin.

Along with TOr others mRobøle members started the petition “No to closing the group lesson offer at Fresh Fitness Strømmen” in November. The petition received 184 signatures.

-We thought we had time to start the appeal, but we lost our bid almost immediately. Rubel says several hours suddenly disappeared from the booking calendar.

– People can't afford it

Both Fresh Fitness and Sats are owned by the Sats group, but only the former is a lower-priced chain.

Holm says she paid NOK 449 a month for a Fresh Fitness membership with group classes included. On Sats, the lowest price is NOK 699 per month for the same offer.

-With the regular trainers and regular people who attended the group lessons, you became a small group in a way. “I don't see a lot of people in SATS anymore, because people can't afford it,” Holm says. The newspaper online.

– At Fresh there was a low bar for joining a group lesson, but at Sats it was more arrogant and strict. “I think that's also why many people don't want to switch,” she adds.

– He understands the frustration

When it became known that group classes were cancelled, Fresh Fitness's General Manager, Lars Fredrik Strøm-Haakonsen, made the following statement to E24:

– This was done exclusively as an assessment of profitability and due to internal circumstances at Fresh Fitness.

He reiterates to Nettavisen that stopping group lessons was a financial decision.

– I can understand some members being frustrated as they were regularly doing group training with us, but unfortunately there were too few products for it to be profitable.says Strom-Hakonsen.

He confirms that Fresh Fitness members have been given three weeks to switch to digital Sats, and notes that the offer runs until January.

– FifthWith a desire to facilitate the best possible way for our members and employees. It was natural for us to conclude an agreement with SATS, because we are in the same group, explains Strøm-Haakonsen to The newspaper online.

He cannot answer how long former Fresh Fitness members can train for NOK 449 per month in Sats.

Tina Brodal, press officer at Sats, told Nettavisen that Fresh Fitness members received a significantly reduced price, with a six-month price guarantee and no lock-in period.

-We continually evaluate our membership prices, and provide two months' notice of price adjustments. We will not adjust prices for members who are in the lockdown period, Brodal tells Nettavisen.

Poor training offers

Holm wonders that these group lessons were not profitable.

– We trained in full halls and it did not make sense what they said that there were very few of us in the group classes. Many members were at Fresh Fitness just to participate in group training, an offering they also paid extra for, she says The newspaper online.

Holm is less satisfied with the offer from Sats.

– Among other things, it is difficult to find similar good Zumba classes in SATS. I have danced Zumba for many years, and I liked that the instructors at Fresh were fun. They made training fun, she says.

Robøle believes the move to Sats was a big adjustment.

-We received a good offer, but Sats is something completely different from Fresh. It is larger and not so social. We don't know everyone in the room anymore.