Gold's charges ahead with international expansion

Following the announcement earlier this year that it is opening the first Indian franchise in Bombay, Gold's Gym International has confirmed further development in the region.

Gold's has formed a master franchise development rights alliance with F2 Fun & Fitness. The agreement will mean Gold's expands into further into India and also into Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Nepal.

The Bombay Gold's Gym, which is on schedule to open this summer, will be the first large scale fitness centre of its kind in the area and F2 Fun & Fitness are keen to build the brand and create franchises in targeted cites.

'With the opening of the first Gold's Gym in India we will have laid the foundation for growing the chain in our region of the world and have become the talk of the town,' says chairman and managing director of F2 Fun & Fitness, J.K. Valecha.

Back in the US, Gold's has recently opened a 30,000sq ft club in Austin, Texas. This comes in the wake of Gold's acquisition of eight World Gym sites in May.

'We are constantly assessing where we can expand, upgrade and make fitness happen for our customers,' says Gold's president and CEO, Gene LaMott.

Currently, there are more than 634 Gold's Gyms with 2.5 million members in 24 countries worldwide. The company's aim is to develop 1,000 gyms worldwide by 2005. Details: www.goldsgym.com