The UK's largest gym operator has expanded into mainland Europe after completing the £350 million acquisition of rival Fitness World.
PureGym, which has more than 250 UK sites, has bought the Danish gym operator as part of the deal first announced last month.
The company, headquartered in Leeds, said the combined group will now trade from more than 500 sites, which it said will now make it the second-largest operator across the continent.
The move comes more than two years after PureGym was purchased by American private equity firm Leonard Green & Partners for an estimated £600 million.
Humphrey Cobbold, chief executive officer at PureGym, said: “We are delighted to announce the completion of this transaction which transforms PureGym into a significant international gym and fitness operator with a strong platform from which to expand further.
"Demand for affordable, high quality and no-contract fitness facilities in Europe is greater than ever, and we firmly believe that PureGym will play an increasingly important role in improving the health and wellbeing of members across Europe.
"From today, we will be working closely with the Fitness World team in order to achieve this goal."
It follows the purchase of Soho Gyms in 2018, adding 10 fitness clubs in prime London locations.
Fitness World operates across Denmark, Poland and Switzerland. Steen Albrechtslund, chief executive officer of Fitness World, said: “I am very excited to begin working with Humphrey and his management team. Like PureGym, we are passionate about making fitness more affordable and accessible, and we believe that the combination will create an even more impactful business providing high quality and low-cost facilities to even more people across Europe.”
The combined group will be operating from more than 500 sites.
PureGym launched in 2009, pioneering contract-free pay-monthly fitness. It brought in revenues of £228 million in 2018, with pre-tax profits of £73 million.
Fitness World opened four years earlier in Copenhagen, adding Polish operation Condizione in 2015 then Basefit of Switzerland in 2018. It also owns a sports nutrition brand. It brought in revenues of £175 million in 2018, with earnings of £38 million.
