Basic-Fit has received permission to operate 24/7 staffless clubs in France, a change which is expected to save the high-value, low-cost operator at least €10 million per year. 

The rollout will begin in May and will apply to all ground floor only clubs – around 200 – there will be camera monitoring and communication options and a maximum of 19 members at one time, admitted via a reservation system. Additional clubs will be added to the 24/7 portfolio in due course. 

Double-digit growth is expected in 2026, thanks to the 24/7 staffless operating model; the launch of 50 new clubs; increasing the membership in clubs and pursuing franchise opportunities in France and Germany. Basic-Fit will also be looking for M&A opportunities, following on from the acquisition of Clever Fit last year and 42 Spanish McFit clubs in 2024.

The latest trading update showed a 19 per cent like-for-like increase in revenue for the first three months of 2026, to €396 million. Group memberships have increased from 4.5 million in the same period last year to 6 million this year and the club network has increased to 2,184.

CEO, Rene Moos, says: “2026 is off to a strong start, with revenue up 19 per cent in the first quarter compared with the same period last year. At Basic-Fit branded owned clubs, memberships increased by 215,000, compared with 213,000 in Q1 2025. This is especially impressive given that 13 fewer clubs were opened in Q1 2026 than in Q1 2025.” 

Thirty three clubs – 28 owned and five franchise under the Clever Fit brand – opened in the first three months of 2026. Most of the openings were in the growth markets of France, Germany, and Spain. 

With the acquisition of Clever Fit in November 2025, Basic-Fit launched its franchise business and is receiving strong interest in both brands across the DACH region. In the coming period, Basic-Fit branded franchise clubs will be offered alongside the existing Clever Fit franchise. 

At its Capital Markets Day on 21 April, the company said it is now entering a high-quality growth phase – there will be a focus on continuing the organic rollout; refining the operating model and starting to franchise in new markets.

The company sees the potential to open at least 100 more clubs in both the Netherlands and Belgium and hundreds more in France, Spain and Germany.

Basic Fit is the market leader in the Netherlands with twice as many clubs as its nearest rival, Anytime Fitness. In Belgium it is twice as big as the top four competitors combined.

It has seen explosive growth in France, rising from 25 clubs in 2016 to 900 now. In Spain it is second behind Vivagym and following the Clever Fit acquisition it is the biggest operator in Germany.

Austria and Switzerland are seen as the next opportunity which are fragmented markets with no real high-value, low-price champions.