appConfigEntityId

bodyType

customContents

entityId

entityUuid

isVideo

articlePageQuery

article

articleSchemaContent

content

hooksArticlePageAdvertisementConfigArticle

hooksArticlePageFloatingButtonConfigArticle

appConfig

filter

json

liveArticle

Kolette Lim

Property agent Raymond Heng had suspected True Fitness was struggling, but he did not expect the gym he had visited for more than a decade to disappear overnight.
The closure was not entirely surprising given the region’s fiercely competitive fitness industry, but its abruptness left Heng, 47, in disbelief after paying S$8,800 (US$6,900) for a lifetime membership in 2013.
“I guessed that they might not have been doing that well since branches have been closing over the years, but I did not expect the whole chain to disappear just like that,” he said.
Heng is among the many fitness fans left searching for a new gym after True Fitness abruptly ceased all operations in Singapore last week. Parent company Kontafarma China Holdings cited cost pressures and intense market competition for winding up the business.
Industry experts said the closure did not necessarily point to a saturated market in Singapore, but instead reflected shifting consumer preferences. Gym-goers are increasingly splitting into two camps: those seeking value and convenience, and those looking for specialised experiences beyond traditional big-box facilities.
Low-cost, 24-hour chains and niche boutique studios offering structured, guided classes are squeezing traditional full-service fitness centres from both ends of the market.
While the large-format gym model was attractive two decades ago, the market had fragmented, said Jack Tong, an assistant professor of business at Nanyang Technological University.

Operators now had to compete on all fronts, including experience and the sense of community they provided, he added.
“This leaves traditional full-service gyms potentially squeezed in the middle. They may find it difficult to compete with low-cost gyms on price while also struggling to compete with specialised operators on experience,” Tong said.
Natthavut Srinara, a lecturer and consultant at EHL Hospitality Business School in Switzerland, said that the old business models were falling out of favour. “Demand is now spread across many formats and price points, which makes the middle of the market increasingly difficult.”
Following True Fitness’ closure, budget and boutique gyms moved quickly to court displaced members, with franchises like Body Fit Training and Anytime Fitness waiving sign-up fees and offering complimentary sessions.
Price vs experience
A short walk from a closed True Fitness branch, Stella Loh laces up her boxing gloves.
Three times a week, the 60-year-old rotates between strength and Muay Thai classes at Hybe Fit, a hybrid training gym where curated programmes and attentive instructors make workouts less intimidating.
“Technique and safety are more important than simply lifting heavy weights,” Loh said.
Boutique studios like Hybe Fit have been popping up across Singapore in recent years, offering specialised workouts and personalised coaching that mass-market gyms rarely provide.
Hybe Fit co-founder Nuovo Tan said the studio had welcomed an increasing number of members seeking structured training since opening in the city state’s Orchard Road shopping district last month.
“We have [had] some conversions from open gyms, such as those who have been going to the gym for a while but don’t see progress due to a lack of a proper programme or guidance,” Tan said.
The popularity of functional fitness events like Hyrox has also provided a boost, with studios launching targeted programmes to prepare participants. Ground Zero, which launched as a spin studio in 2017 during the global rise of indoor cycling gyms, has expanded its offerings to include functional fitness and strength training while remaining open as a gym between classes.

Ground Zero founder Jeong Fok said their community-driven nature was a key selling point for boutique gyms.
“People who train at such studios want somewhere they can call their own, meet like-minded people, and actually feel like they belong … It almost becomes a modern-day version of a club or community space,” Fok said.
“I think that’s also connected to the rise of events like Hyrox – people just aren’t participating individually any more.”
But these specialised experiences come at a premium. An unlimited monthly pass at Hybe Fit costs S$360 – dropping to S$300 on an annual plan – while weekly access at Ground Zero ranges from S$70 to S$80.
Consumers’ willingness to spend substantial sums on fitness was no surprise, Srinara said.
“Consumers are becoming much more specific about what they want,” he said. “Premium customers are willing to pay more for better service, wellness experiences and networking opportunities.”
At the other end of the spectrum, price and accessibility top the priority list for Justina Tay, 26. The consultant pays S$95 a month for an Anytime Fitness membership, giving her 24-hour access to roughly 160 locations across Singapore.
“Convenience is the most important to building a consistent routine and Anytime Fitness has the most number of outlets,” Tay said.
The chain operates on a franchise model, with fitness group Inspire Brands Asia the master franchisee for Southeast Asia since 2020. Inspire Brands Asia did not immediately respond to requests for comment from This Week in Asia.

Calls for stronger protections
The sudden closure of True Fitness – which reportedly left customers suffering losses exceeding S$600,000 – has renewed calls for stricter consumer protection standards around long-term prepayments.
Holly Yang, a professor of accounting at Singapore Management University, said that while financial distress was evident in public filings from Kontafarma and True Fitness, ordinary consumers could not be expected to scrutinise financial statements before buying a gym membership.
In Singapore, financial records for companies such as True Fitness and True Yoga are available via the Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority for a fee. However, tracking cross-border corporate structures is challenging.
Singapore operates a voluntary accreditation scheme called CaseTrust, under which participating firms that collect qualifying advance payments must implement prepayment protection measures. A government-run Consumer Protection Review Panel is currently evaluating whether existing safeguards for high-value packages are adequate.
Yang urged regulatory authorities to consider making insurance requirements mandatory for large advance membership fees.
“[The] information existed, but people had no reason to think they needed it, and no costless way to obtain it,” she added.
Kontafarma China Holdings, which is listed on the Hong Kong stock exchange, has been contacted for comment.


Singapore nets US$862,000 from first auction in money laundering case

The cooling trap: how Asia’s air conditioners are making heatwaves worse

What Hong Kong cinema can take away from a popular Chinese war film

Why AI giants are choosing Singapore to turn models into real-world tools

Singapore

Why Singapore’s big-box gyms are losing to niche fitness studios

True Fitness branch Velocity at Novena Square, Singapore. Photo: True Fitness

Participants compete at a Hyrox fitness event at the AsiaWorld-Expo in April. Functional fitness events like Hyrox are driving the popularity of boutique training studios. Photo: Handout

Boutique gym Ground Zero incorporates exercises featured in the global fitness race Hyrox into its workout classes. Photo: Ground Zero  

Hybe Fit offers a range of programmes from boxing and Muay Thai to strength and conditioning. Photo: Hybe Fit

Malaysia’s new plan to beat obesity: slash gym licence fees in Kuala Lumpur

A man runs on a treadmill with a view of Petronas Twin Towers in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Photo: Shutterstock

Federal Territories Minister Hannah Yeoh. Photo: Handout

A man works out at a gym in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Operators say the licence cut helps, but rent, electricity and utilities, staff wages and equipment maintenance remain “the biggest costs”. Photo: Shutterstock

People walk in the street in Kuala Lumpur. Malaysia’s most recent nationally representative nutrition survey, NHMS 2024, put adult obesity at 23.1 per cent and overweight at 30.5 per cent. Photo: EPA-EFE

Grab Singapore apologises over microdrama ad that raised passenger safety fears

A screenshot from the trailer for “I Fell In Love with My Grab Driver”, a new microdrama series by Grab Singapore. Photo: YouTube / GrabOfficialSEA 

A fleet of cars from ride-hailing firm Grab in Singapore. Photo: Grab

In Singapore, malls for shopping only are going out of style

Marina Square’s redevelopment masterplan will include features such as luxury residences, serviced apartments and offices. Photo: PLP Architecture

A view of the Gardens by the Bay and the Marina Bay Sands hotel in Singapore. Photo: EPA

An area within the now-defunct Robinsons department store at Orchard Road in Singapore. Photo: KAPOK PR

The launch of the IconSiam development in Bangkok in 2018. Photo: EPA-EFE

Singapore’s blueprint for economic success: plan, but be prepared to adapt

A city view of Singapore on Tuesday. About 80 per cent of Singaporeans live in public housing. Photo: Xinhua

People view a light projection as part of a preview of the Singapore Night Festival in Singapore, on August 19. Photo: Xinhua

Seatrium and Petrobras executives take part in a christening ceremony for the Petrobras FPSO P-80 at Seatrium’s shipyard in Singapore on Thursday. Photo: Reuters

A worker supported on safety ropes paints the facade of a residential building in Singapore on June 29. Photo: AFP

This Week in Asia

Economics

News

Asia

Southeast Asia

Traditional gyms are struggling to compete with 24-hour budget chains on price and specialised boutique studios on community experience


Traditional gyms are struggling to compete with 24-hour budget chains on price and specialised boutique studios on community experience.


China

Why Singapore’s big-box gyms are losing to niche fitness studios

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Traditional gyms are struggling to compete with 24-hour budget chains on price and specialised boutique studios on community experience

Traditional gyms are struggling to compete with 24-hour budget chains on price and specialised boutique studios on community experience