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For Bally Total Fitness, Timing Is Everything in Franchising Decision

By Robert Moschorak
August 31, 2006

Bally Total Fitness is one of the most recognized brands in the U.S. fitness industry and the largest purchaser of fitness equipment in the country. The company spends $55 million annually on marketing and media support, and it offers the power of more than 40 years of business success and 20,000 employees that make the company strong ' all key components to a successful and highly sought-after franchising program. So why hasn't Bally implemented a national franchising program?

The answer is timing. After a 5-year period of aggressive expansion focused on growing company-owned clubs, and initial success with international franchise partners, Bally is now shifting its strategy to develop its U.S. franchise network alongside its company clubs. Learning from experience, Bally decided that in order to launch a full-scale U.S. franchising program, it would need the time and the resources to build a strong, best-in-class model. This year, Bally re-launched an unprece-dented domestic franchising program that is legally and operationally sound.

Background

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