– This is a great crisis

In March, all gyms in Norway were due to close due to the danger of infection associated with the coronavirus.

This has resulted in a terminated membership and millions in fewer on the accounts of all of Norway’s largest training chains.

Closed gyms have also begun to become a health problem.

Managing Director Truls Nebell of Shapemaster Scandinavia AS, who runs the Feelgood chain of fitness centers, says he respects the authorities’ decision to close, but says June 15 cannot come quickly enough.

– This is a great crisis. We are a center of exercise and movement, and there is a completely different group that accompanies us than in regular gyms. I have received comments from members who say they are returning to the wheelchair because they are not trained, says Nebell.

– The failure of politicians.

Another reason why there is a crisis, says Nebell, is that most centers do not qualify for the compensation scheme. This is because the owners of the centers also have other jobs.

– People who run a Feelgood center are frustrated. They have taken loans at home and started because they have a heart to help others. The rent has yet to be paid. Instead, they are disappointed by politicians, he says.

The largest client group for the training chain, which has 40 centers, is women over 65.

– We could have opened tomorrow. It is not more dangerous than going to Kiwi and buying. In our centers, people do not sit, sweat and cough. Here we are talking about 14 people in 100 square meters, so it is a good distance,
says Nebell

Lost 20,000 clients

For Sats, too, these are tough times. Sats’ user base has shrunk by 1 percent in the last quarter, according to the company’s first-quarter report released Tuesday.

In one month, from March 31 to April 30, Sat lost 20,000 customers. These are customers who canceled their membership after opening in Finland and Sweden, according to the company.

They expect similar things to happen in Norway and Denmark when it gradually opens. Gyms in Norway will open on June 15.

In the first quarter, Sats lost NOK 34 million, down from a pre-tax gain of NOK 80 million at the same time last year. Revenue at the same time in 2019 was NOK 1.01 billion. This year it is 990 million crowns.

– Demanding

Sats CEO Sondre Gravir says the crown crisis has been a challenge for the company.