The Third Space to open sixth club in 2019: will include first kids gym concept

Boutique fitness operator The Third Space will open its sixth club in Islington, north London during Q2 2019.

Speaking exclusively to Health Club Management, CEO Colin Waggett revealed the plans include launching the company's first "kids gym" concept.

"There’s a very strong demand for young family facilities," Waggett said.

"So, alongside a 35,000sq ft adult club, we’re building our first Little Space – a kids’ club with a dedicated kids’ training pool, sports hall, dance studio, climbing area, café and crèche."

Waggett added that the new concept is part of the premium operator's strategy of creating individual experiences for each club – while retaining the brand ethos of The Third Space.

"It’s a good example of us being small enough as a business to look at each new market and ask: ‘What do people here really want?’," he said.

"We did 300 doorstep interviews and focus groups to make sure our concept was right.

“What we didn’t want, though, was for this to become a family club, mixing the two sides of the offering and possibly ending up with something that wasn’t the best of either world.

"This is why we’ve kept things separate: the Third Space adult experience is entirely unaffected and is still best-in-class in terms of offering a grown-up environment, and Little Space is equally free to specialise in kids’ facilities and programming.”

Waggett added that the concept could be rolled out at future sites.

“We’re already looking at sites to open between 2020 and 2025,” he said. “And we certainly have one other site which might suit a more residential, Islington-esque formula”.

Waggett also hinted that the brand could eventually open its first site outside the lucrative London market.

“We're on track to open a new site every 12 to 18 months," he said.

“At the moment, we’re focused on locations within the M25, with an emphasis on London zones 1 and 2, but I could see us moving outside London, or indeed outside the UK.”

To read a full interview with Colin Waggett, click here for the August Issue of Health Club Management magazine