Fitness centers have been reopened for a month. Under the influence of the epidemic, the industry has been closed for many times. Some chain fitness centers have not been able to survive the reopening and need to be closed across the board. It is estimated that more than 1,000 coaches have lost their jobs.
Lu Xiangrong, the head of GMT Fitness and the public relations officer of the Hong Kong Kickboxing Association, pointed out that after the launch of the Anti-epidemic Fund 6.0, they have applied immediately. After three months, the association has still received more than 70 applications.
He also pointed out that under the influence of the fifth wave of the epidemic alone, more than 100 fitness centers have closed, and the boxing gym has lost six figures.
He sighed that he can only hold on at this stage, hoping that the epidemic will gradually slow down and students will regain their confidence in going to the venue for training.
GMT Fitness opened in 2019 and mainly provides boxing, muscle building and weight loss and rehabilitation training.
Lu Xiangrong pointed out as the person in charge of GMT Fitness that the gym is currently operated by two full-time and part-time staff.
Before the epidemic, half of the gyms were mainly group teaching, and the other half were 1-on-1 single-person classes. However, due to the development of the epidemic and the restriction of gatherings, all classes are now replaced by 1-on-1 or 1-on-2 classes, and the number of students has also increased. As a result, it was affected and dropped to 30% of the previous level.
(Photo by Li Zetong)
GMT Fitness opened in 2019 and mainly provides boxing, muscle building and weight loss and rehabilitation training.
Lu Xiangrong is the head of GMT Fitness and the head coach of the boxing gym.
He pointed out that the gym is currently run by two full-time and part-time employees.
Before the epidemic, half of the boxing gyms mainly used group teaching, and the other half were 1-to-1 single-person classes. However, due to the development of the epidemic and the restriction of gatherings, all classes have been replaced by 1-on-1 or 1-on-2 classes, and the number of students has also changed accordingly. Affected, it dropped to 30% of the previous level.
At present, there are only three groups of students in the boxing gym at the same time at the same time, and the venues will be distributed in three different locations to distinguish, maintain the distance between each student and minimize the risk of transmission.
Boxing gym loses 6 figures in fifth wave of epidemic
Lu Xiangrong pointed out that the impact of the fifth wave of the epidemic this year is greater than that of previous years. When the business was closed last year, about 20% of the outdoor training could still be carried out, and the income had not completely returned to zero. To ensure the safety of students and coaches, he decided to completely stop all classes, and his income immediately went to zero. Only the fifth wave has lost 500,000 yuan.
Another identity of Lu Xiangrong is the public relations of the Hong Kong Kickboxing Association. According to him, there will always be more than 70 fitness industry premises applying for the Anti-epidemic Fund 6.0 to solve the urgent need, but the relevant funding has not yet been successfully obtained, "Wait. Once you get the subsidy, you won’t be able to pay the rent, and you’ll have to close your studies after that.”
(Photo by Li Zetong)
"If you can't wait for the subsidy, you won't be able to pay the rent, you can only close the school"
Another identity of Lu Xiangrong is the public relations of the Hong Kong Kickboxing Association. According to him, there will always be more than 70 fitness industry premises applying for the Anti-epidemic Fund 6.0 to solve the urgent need, but the relevant funding has not yet been successfully obtained, "Wait. Once you get the subsidy, you won’t be able to pay the rent, and you’ll have to close your studies after that.”
In the fifth wave of the epidemic, more than 100 fitness centers closed down. Take the case of GMT Fitness as an example. They applied immediately after the plan was launched (February 22), but they still have not been able to obtain relevant allowances after three months. Help, "I called for inquiries, but the staff told them that there was a diagnosis, and the progress would be slow."
Lu Xiangrong felt helpless about this. The department did not disclose the time limit for the approval of the application. The subsidies for coaches have been issued one after another recently. However, some coaches who have not joined the government-designated sports associations or recognized sports institutions because of foreign licenses can apply for this grant.
Lu Xiangrong pointed out that this group of coaches is actually rich in experience and hopes that the authorities can relax the handling.
The fitness center and other places have been reopened for a month, and Lu Xiangrong said that the industry is not as good as the public imagined, "As soon as you open, you can do business again."
(Photo by Li Zetong)
Boxing gyms must be "returned" after reopening
The fitness center and other places have been reopened for a month, and Lu Xiangrong said that the industry is not as good as the public imagined, "As soon as you open, you can do business again."
He explained that the number of confirmed cases of the epidemic has not yet returned to zero, and many students reported that they are still worried about the risk of infection.
On the other hand, the operation method of the boxing gym is similar to that of the beauty industry, and some of them are sold in the form of package tickets, which means that at the beginning of the reopening, they must "return to the hall".
"The closure of business is so patient, the time for the package will be extended for half a year and a year, and you have to "return to the hall" first, so you won't have any income soon."
When asked about his current business, Lu Xiangrong reluctantly said, "It's enough to pay rent, but not enough to pay labor."
He also mentioned that after opening in 2019, there has always been the idea of expanding the branch, but due to the impact of the epidemic, this plan can only be postponed.
There are difficulties in operation. Lu Xiangrong believes that at this stage, we can only hold on to it. I hope that when the epidemic situation improves, it can gradually increase the confidence of students. "Many people want to exercise because of the impact of the epidemic." Therefore, they have strengthened the cleaning of the premises. Install air purifiers and open windows to increase air circulation.
In terms of epidemic prevention measures, he hopes that the authorities will no longer be one-size-fits-all, and should communicate more with the industry to find a balance.
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