Fast Fitness Japan, master franchisee of Anytime Fitness in Japan, has acquired Eighty-8 Health & Fitness, giving the company master franchisee rights to Anytime Fitness in Germany.

The company, which is headquartered in Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo operates 1,100 clubs in Japan, with 800,000 members, and has been seeking opportunities for growth both domestically and overseas. Eighty-8 will continue to operate as a subsidiary of Fast Fitness Japan.

Kiyoaki Yamabe, CEO of Fast Fitness Japan, says: "We are delighted to have obtained master franchisee rights for Anytime Fitness in Germany, a market with a high fitness participation rate where we project a need for high added-value fitness gyms. We will continue to work closely with the Self Esteem Brands headquarters in the US to further accelerate the opening of new clubs in Germany, as well as other countries."

Florian Dermühl, who has experience of franchise management in Germany and managing fitness companies in Europe, has been appointed managing director of the Germany subsidiary. He will be looking to drive growth in both Germany and beyond.

In addition to growing in Germany, Fast Fitness will also introduce The Bar Method – another Self Esteem Brands IP – into the Japanese market in 2025.

The Bar Method is based on yoga, Pilates and strength training. Members can select from a range of classes, including interval-training, strength, cardio and yoga, as well as barre classes.

Japan currently has a low penetration rate of 3.68 per cent according to Japan’s Fitness Club Industry FY2022 Report. Fast Fitness Japan primarily targets the younger generation, especially males, which was untapped when it first launched in 2010.

Fast Fitness Japan has seen a gradual recovery in membership and participation rates since the pandemic and per-member spending is now above the pre-pandemic rate.

Going forward, the company is aiming for 1,400 clubs in Japan by the end of 2027 and is considering acquisitions to help reach this target, as well as recruiting franchise owners who have a strong local presence. The development of new brands is also being explored.

Dave Mortensen, co-founder of Self Esteem Brands, the parent company of Anytime Fitness, told HCM in an exclusive interview in 2023 that it has set the target of 10,000 clubs by 2030 and announced a merger with Orangetheory earlier in the year. In March it awarded a master franchise to a team to roll out the brand in the Middle East.