Bulking up the balance sheet
In the early 1990s a wealth of gyms and fitness clubs popped up all over Warsaw, but by the end of the decade the fitness bubble had burst and many of the gyms went bankrupt. There followed a period of stagnation, until the invisible hand of the market rearranged the plot and created a completely new script. Leisure and wellness centers arrived in Warsaw and changed everything. The majority of business clients abandoned the local facilities for new professional gyms that opened in hotels, malls and recreation centers.
Three-tier supply
There are dozens of local gyms in Warsaw. They occupy the lowest level of the fitness hierarchy. Above them are fitness clubs and sports centers that have attracted business customers for several years. At the top of the pile, the exclusive wellness centers are proving more and more popular with those who can afford them.
"There are three different levels of gyms in the city. Our center, as well as some others are at the highest level," says Arkadiusz Rudnicki, manager of the Studio Calypso Fitness Club. "Facilities such as ours are designed for businesspeople as well as for families searching for an exclusive and comfortable way to spend their time."
Tough market
Though the top tier of the market is already packed, a new player is about to set up shop in Warsaw's Hilton hotel. Some existing clubs are awaiting the opening day with more than a hint of trepidation.
"Not that we are afraid, our club is among the most exclusive in the city, but the new facility might mean a migration of customers and so it is something of a threat," confesses Agata Żarczyńska, manager of Club Oasis Fitness & Spa. "However, we constantly watch the market and should anything major happen, we will be ready to react."
Gyms are concerned about every little move in the market because the market itself is still very small. "In Poland only two percent of people work out regularly," notes Rudnicki. "By comparison, in Germany it is 12 percent."
Exclusive gyms divide themselves into hotel-located and free-standing facilities. Four centers dominate the hotel market: Club Oasis in the Hyatt Regency, the biggest in the city; Riverview Wellness Centre in the Intercontinental; World Fitness in the Marriott; and The Fitness Center in the Sheraton.
Free-standing clubs are more numerous and located across the city, including: Studio Calypso in the Wola Park mall, Saska Fitness and Wellness in the Praga district and Sportsmania in Żoliborz.
The social status scene
Wellness centers do their utmost to satisfy their customers needs, which is fully understandable considering the caliber of their clientele. One club hosts Poland's Prime Minister. Others are frequently visited by the elite of the Polish banking sector, and all of them serve as hideouts for movie, music and TV celebrities.
"Celebrities come here because they need a place where they won't be asked for their autograph or have fingers pointed at them," explains Żarczyńska. "CEOs come to clubs to talk with their business colleagues, because it's become a way of life."
In order to cater to every conceivable whim, gyms must regularly come up with new offers, stop their premises from getting overcrowded, and ensure guests get the best equipment and highest possible quality of service.
This means clubs can charge their cilents premium rates and the average monthly all-inclusive subscription to a wellness center comes to zł.700. Moreover, special programs are often tailored to specific groups of customers.
"Recently we have developed and implemented a special program for pregnant women, or those who are planning pregnancy," say Barbara Trala, a coordinator at the Riverview Wellness Centre.
"It's an exclusive business program devoted to the wives of managers called Active Nine Months. In addition to a weekly training session we provide medical care for female customers as well as yoga and an aquatic program."
