CENTER TWP. — Hopewell Township resident Katie Manni could go to a fitness club closer to her, but Planet Fitness has been worth the trips.
The store officially opened Dec. 20 at the Beaver Valley Mall, and membership has surged, regional manager Nick Panezich said.
The franchise launches stores in areas based on certain market thresholds, but a co-owner suggested population density wasn’t as crucial for this spot.
“When looking in (Center Township), we drove all around,” said Chad Fitton,
co-owner of a New Hampshire-based investment company that launched the location at the mall. “It was a pretty easy decision for us. It’s the hub.”
Because of the location’s proximity to Interstate 376, Fitton said he and his business partner believed people would be willing to travel farther than usual. He also said the area had an underserved market.
The fitness club features 24-hour service, a “judgment-free zone” philosophy to fitness and $10-a-month memberships. Annual membership fees are $29 or $39, depending on the membership plan, billed on June 1, according to the franchise website.
A start-up fee also is required; a reduced $10 fee expires Jan. 10.
The franchise also partners with “The Biggest Loser” reality TV show, providing equipment for contestants.
Employee Nick Pertile said many people have signed up from the Aliquippa area and Center and Hopewell townships.
“Memberships are doing very, very well,” Panezich said. “It looks like, looking at Beaver County, they were in need of a 24-hour fitness center.”
As many as 400 or 500 people signed up per day during recent promotion specials, said Pertile, who registered deals to some people from as far away as Ellwood City.
The club is between Sears and Macy’s. While Planet Fitness is connected to the mall, it can be accessed only from outside because the fitness club’s hours outlast the mall’s.
The all-day hours appealed to people like Central Valley shop teacher Joe Kittner, of Beaver Falls. Kittner said he was also impressed by the membership price and the franchise’s reputation, which he learned about from friends in the Baltimore area.
Fitton owns some nine other stores in four states, representing a portion of the franchise’s 700-plus locations.
When launching stores in new areas, the franchise looks for a market of 25,000 people within five miles for smaller sites and 60,000 people within a five-mile radius for larger sites, according to planetfitness.com[1] .
Smaller sites are less than 12,000 square feet, and larger sites are 12,000 to 20,000 square feet. The Beaver Valley Mall location is 18,000 square feet.
One National Academy of Sports Medicine director previously told The Times in August that Beaver County’s relatively low target audience of members would be insufficient for a big-box type of fitness club.
In evaluating the area, Fitton, his business partner and a Cleveland real estate agent drove around, looking for where people traveled most.
“That’s the best way for us,” Fitton said. “We have to go to the markets, see where the traffic is flowing, and try to decide.”
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