Global gym franchise Snap Fitness has opened its 100th gym across the UK & Ireland, following the launch of its latest location in Southport.

Snap Fitness, which opened its first UK gym in Kent in 2012, has grown to become the sixth largest private gym operator in the UK and has 24/7 gyms across England. Scotland, Wales and the Republic of Ireland.

It has recently invested significantly in the internal design and experience of its gyms, with its newer gyms beginning to introduce state-of-the-art recovery areas and added value offerings such as infrared saunas.

Having reached this milestone, Snap Fitness has a healthy opening pipeline ahead, with at least five more gyms set to open before the end of 2024 and plenty more to come in 2025.

“This is a fantastic milestone for us but we’re just getting started,” said Kevin Yates, CEO of Snap Fitness EMEA. “The resilience of the fitness industry is amazing to see and it’s so rewarding for us to help ambitious entrepreneurs own their own gyms and capitalise on this momentum.

“The key for us is not standing still and there are so many exciting developments in the pipeline for what we offer members in our gyms. We’re relentlessly ambitious and while there are of course bigger and more well-known gym operators out there, we’re focusing on ourselves and working towards offering the best and most supportive member experience available.”

In addition to its 100 UK & Ireland sites, Snap Fitness has over 1,000 gyms across 20 countries, supporting more than one million members with their health and fitness goals.

Its gym owner network comprises a combination of franchisees new to franchising, as well as investors with leading franchises in other sectors such as Costa, Dominos, KFC and German Doner Kebab. With more people in the UK than ever before having a gym membership (2024 State of the UK Fitness Industry Report), a growing number of investors are seeing its potential.