Snap Fitness prepping for wider presence in India

US-headquartered health and fitness chain Snap Fitness, which entered the Indian market in 2008 with a centre in Bengaluru, is looking to expand its India footprint to 300 centres in three years.

Snap Fitness, which claims to be among the first to offer 24/7 access to members, along with nutrition and diet counselling, currently operates 60 fitness centres across 11 cities nationwide. It has centres in three formats — 3,000 sq ft, 4,000 sq ft and 5,000 sq ft, and has a user base of 60,000 members.

The chain has introduced two-fitness related products — the International Access Card, which gives members access to any of the 2,500 Snap Fitness centres located in the US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, UK, Mexico and Egypt; and Myzone, a wi-fi enabled area in the centres that allows members to track their workouts and monitor their heart rates via devices.

A free Myzone app allows members to stream and review the activity results from a smartphone, anywhere.

“India was the first country I entered into outside of the US in 2008,” said Peter Taunton, Global CEO and President, Snap Fitness. “While we are growing at a steady pace, we could grow much faster if entrepreneurs who want to be our business partners have access to loans from large banking institutions at fair interest rates.”

It costs ₹1.6 crore to set up a Snap Fitness centre, he explained. “The entrepreneur has to contribute 30 per cent, the rest of the capital has to be raised from banks or other financing institutions, which is not forthcoming,” he added.

In sharp contrast to the situation in India, Australia/NewZealand, a market that the company entered three years after India, already has 230 centres, he pointed out.

The $2-billion fitness and wellness market in India, which is dominated by weight loss and beauty treatment services, is growing at a healthy clip of 25-30, fuelled by rising income levels and changing lifestyles, said Dr Vikram BM, owner of Force Fitness Pvt Ltd, which holds the master franchise for Snap Fitness in India.

Tea Trails opens its outlet in Chennai

Tea Trails, a fast growing tea caf chain in the country, launched its first outlet in Chennai. Noted cine director KS Ravi Kumar inaugurated the outlet.

Zone8 Tea World Pvt Ltd that runs Tea Trails brand cafes in the country is expanding fast and aims to be present pan India in coming period. Chennai is the latest city where it has forayed.

The Company forayed last month in South India with its first caf in Hyderabad’s Banjara Hills. It also marked the brands first outlet outside the Mumbai metro region.

"With the launch of Chennai caf, we are now present in the two cities in South India. We are expanding our franchisee network to be a pan India player. South India is a major market for us and we are confident that this Master Franchise Agreement in Tamil Nadu will give us the required presence across Tamil Nadu, said Tea Trails co-founder and CEO Sanjeev S Potti.

The company has partnered with Slimlines food and Beverages Pvt Ltd to be its master franchisee for Tamil Nadu.

Tea Trails offers a gourmet tea drinking experience to the discerning consumer and brings to India the fast emerging international trend with a desi twist. It offers carefully curated range of the finest teas from Indian and around the world.

Launched in late 2013 by a group of entrepreneurs with successful track records, Tea Trails Caf has embarked on an interesting journey of changing the rules of the game in the caf space.

Shah Rukh Khan acquires 26% stake in KidZania

Bollywood star Shah Rukh Khan has acquired 26 per cent strategic stake in the Indian franchise of KidZania, an international chain of family entertainment centres. The $3.5-billion Comcraft Group, which holds the franchise for Kidzania in India, had been scouting for a significant minority investor to add value to the Indian project and decided to bring the Bollywood star on board, Economic Times reported, citing people familiar with the development.

"He brings strategic value to the deal in that he is a brand himself," said an official with knowledge of the deal. The Comcraft Group is owned by NRI Chandaria family with diverse interests in about 40 countries across the globe.

Mexico-based KidZania is an interactive family entertainment centre or indoor park that allows children between 5 and 13 age group to role-play adult occupations in a miniature city. It has activities designed to mimic real-life and functioning economy.

The more than Rs 100-crore "edutainment centre" project will unveil its first leg in India in 2012 at R City Mall in Mumbai's Ghatkopar area. The centre will be spread over more than 70,000 square feet. Similar edutainment centres are also likely to be opened later in Delhi and Bangalore.

Source : Franchise Plus