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Fitness fanatics looking to beef up are turning to tiny gyms in a trend that appears ready to spread to the U.S.
A company in Singapore retrofitted dozens of shipping containers into tiny gyms that are booked at hourly rates as low as $7.50 an hour. It is now looking for investors who want to help it expand in the U.S.
The tiny gyms are about 200 square feet, a footprint small enough to keep prices down and attract people looking for privacy during their training sessions, Bloomberg first reported.
“Compared to a lot of other studios, where you have to hire a front desk staff manager or cleaners on site, we reduce a lot of our overhead that way, which allows us to keep running,” Peter Lam, The Gym Pod’s brand and partnerships director, told Bloomberg. “The sales trajectory was already on an upward trend pre-Covid, and the momentum accelerated post lockdown.”
The Gym Pod was founded in Singapore in March 2018. It markets its bright yellow shipping containers to people looking for privacy, modern equipment and an air-conditioned space in urban areas.
Customers can rent by the hour and pay for higher-tier subscription plans for more perks, according to the company’s website.
It has 50 locations throughout the city-state of Singapore, and now has its sights set on expanding in the U.S.
The company opened its first two tiny gyms in the U.S. in Chicago and is soliciting investors who want to own a Gym Pod franchise in the U.S. on its website, quickly responding to requests.
Lam told Bloomberg the company is looking for pop-up sites in New York, California and Florida.
The trend continues with the recent interest in all things small when it comes to real estate.
Home Depot made waves this spring when it released a new, 540-square-foot tiny home for $44,000.
Small-footprint homes and buildings have been catching Americans’ attention at a time when home prices remain stubbornly high.
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