The Virgin Active gym club in Kingston’s Bentall Centre is closing on December 20 after seven years of business because it is not making enough money.
The gym has a reputation for being busy and popular, but service manager Florence Wade said: “The club is not viable to stay open any more as it has not been making money for the past three years now.”
The club is offering customers a discounted membership at its closest gym which is in Richmond.
Florence said: “Our clients have two options, they can go to Richmond road gym, or they can go to Sunbury on a £50 a month membership with no signing-in fee. This is a special membership rate. The price is normally £79-£80."
Expensive
This means the clubs’ clients will have to pay £11 more each month, which some are not happy with.
Kat Cary, a third-year historic building conservation graduate said: “That's a bad deal for me as it makes my membership more expensive. Also, Richmond is further away and I would have to get the bus. They are clearly not reaching out to all their customers.”
Wade said: “It is more expensive because it is a bigger gym with a lot more and better facilities.”
The company is offering its clients three complimentary visits before they make the decision about the transfer.
So far the club has had around 300 to 400 transfers out of roughly 1800 clients.
Gabriel Thorn, third-year business student said: “I am really not impressed that if we want to stay with Virgin we will have to pay more money to use the Richmond Road one. They are the same company. I don’t understand it, and I won’t be transferring.”