The first California Fitness club was established in 1996 in the business district of Hong Kong near
Lan Kwai Fong
Lan Kwai Fong (often abbreviated as LKF) is a small square of streets in Central, Hong Kong. The area was dedicated to hawkers before the Second World War, but underwent a renaissance in the mid-1980s. It is now a popular expatriate haunt in ...
. There were 16 clubs in Hong Kong, Singapore and China. California Fitness was acquired in 1999 by
24 Hour Fitness Worldwide, which sold it to the Ansa Group in 2012.
California Fitness was the trading name of JV Fitness;
it was the second largest gym operator in Hong Kong with nine locations.
Clubs
* Mainland China (3)
:Beijing (The Place), Shanghai (Infiniti Plaza), Guangzhou
Guangzhou (, ; ; or ; ), also known as Canton () and alternatively romanized as Kwongchow or Kwangchow, is the capital and largest city of Guangdong province in southern China. Located on the Pearl River about north-northwest of Hong Kon ...
(Seasons Mall)
* Hong Kong (9)
:Central
Central is an adjective usually referring to being in the center of some place or (mathematical) object.
Central may also refer to:
Directions and generalised locations
* Central Africa, a region in the centre of Africa continent, also known as ...
, Causeway Bay
Causeway Bay is list of buildings, sites and areas in Hong Kong, an area and Victoria Park, Hong Kong, a bay on Hong Kong Island, Hong Kong, straddling the border of the Eastern District, Hong Kong, Eastern and the Wan Chai District, Wan Chai ...
, Wan Chai
Wan Chai is situated at the western part of the Wan Chai District on the northern shore of Hong Kong Island, in Hong Kong. Its other boundaries are Canal Road, Hong Kong, Canal Road to the east, Arsenal Street to the west and Bowen Road to th ...
, Tsim Sha Tsui
Tsim Sha Tsui, often abbreviated as TST, is an list of areas of Hong Kong, urban area in southern Kowloon, Hong Kong. The area is administratively part of the Yau Tsim Mong District. Tsim Sha Tsui East is a piece of land reclaimed from the Hu ...
, Mongkok
Mong Kok (also spelled Mongkok, often abbreviated as MK) is an area in Kowloon, Hong Kong. The Prince Edward subarea occupies the northern part of Mong Kok.
Mong Kok is one of the major shopping areas in Hong Kong. The area is characterised ...
, Whampoa , Tuen Mun
Tuen Mun or Castle Peak is an area near the mouth of Tuen Mun River and Castle Peak Bay in the New Territories, Hong Kong. It was one of the earliest settlements in what is now Hong Kong and can be dated to the Neolithic period. In the more re ...
, Quarry Bay
Quarry Bay is an area beneath Mount Parker in the Eastern District of Hong Kong Island, in Hong Kong. The western portion of the area was also formerly known as Lai Chi (). Traditionally an industrial and residential area, the number of commer ...
, Megabox, Leap by California Fitness: One Kowloon
* Singapore (4)
:Bugis, Novena Square, Orchard, Raffles
Beginning in 2005, California Fitness partnered with two fitness superstars, Jackie Chan
Fang Shilong (born 7 April 1954), known professionally in English as Jackie Chan and in Chinese as Cheng Long ( zh, c=成龍, j=Sing4 Lung4; "becoming the dragon"), is a Hong Kong actor, filmmaker, martial artist, and stuntman known for ...
and Yao Ming
Yao Ming (; born September 12, 1980) is a Chinese basketball executive and former professional player. He played for the Shanghai Sharks of the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA) and the Houston Rockets of the National Basketball Associat ...
, to create signature clubs in the region. There were two California Fitness-Yao Ming Sport clubs in Mainland China which were re-branded as normal California Fitness in 2010. Also were four California Fitness-Jackie Chan Sport clubs in Asia (two in Hong Kong and two in Singapore) re-branded as normal California Fitness in 2012. California has chosen Richie Jen
Richie Jen Hsien-chi (, born 23 June 1966) is a Taiwanese singer and actor. He graduated from the Chinese Culture University's physical education department. His hits include "Too Softhearted" (), "Look Over Here, Girl" (), "The Sad Pacific" () ...
as new spokesman since 2012. California Fitness is infamous for having the most number of complaints lodged against them to the Consumers' Association of Singapore (CASE).
* The Thai and Korean
Korean may refer to:
People and culture
* Koreans, ethnic group originating in the Korean Peninsula
* Korean cuisine
* Korean culture
* Korean language
**Korean alphabet, known as Hangul or Chosŏn'gŭl
**Korean dialects and the Jeju language
** ...
chains were spun off into California WOW Xperience in the early 2000s.
* Three former Malaysian clubs were acquired by Celebrity Fitness
Celebrity Fitness is a fitness center operator with a network of clubs across Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, and India. Every Celebrity Fitness club offers personal training, yoga, spinning / indoor cycling and group fitness programs for ...
in 2009.
* Six former Taiwan
Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia, at the junction of the East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocean, with the People's Republic of China (PRC) to the northwest, Japan to the nort ...
clubs were acquired by World Gym
World Gym International LLC is an American fitness center founded in 1976 by Joe Gold during the glory days of " Muscle Beach" in Venice Beach, California. Joe Gold is also the founder of Gold's Gym, another gym chain, which he sold in 1973. The g ...
in September 2010.
Products, services and facilities
The company's business model is based on an entry fee and contracts of variable duration that are tacitly renewed unless one month's notice in writing is given. In addition to cardio
Cardio (from Greek καρδίᾱ ''kardia'', 'heart') may refer to:
* Of the Heart
* Cardiology
** Cardiovascular system
* Aerobic exercise, also known as cardio
* ''Cardio'' (album), a 2010 album by Miguel Bosé
See also
*
*
* Physical exerc ...
and resistance
Resistance may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Comics
* Either of two similarly named but otherwise unrelated comic book series, both published by Wildstorm:
** ''Resistance'' (comics), based on the video game of the same title
** ''T ...
equipment, free weights, group exercise studios, all California Fitness clubs have free internet access (wifi or in-club kiosks). Most of its clubs have steam
Steam is a substance containing water in the gas phase, and sometimes also an aerosol of liquid water droplets, or air. This may occur due to evaporation or due to boiling, where heat is applied until water reaches the enthalpy of vaporization ...
and sauna
A sauna (, ), or sudatory, is a small room or building designed as a place to experience dry or wet heat sessions, or an establishment with one or more of these facilities. The steam and high heat make the bathers perspire. A thermometer in a ...
rooms and there is an outdoor swimming pool at Megabox Club Kowloon Bay, one of its Hong Kong clubs.
Controversies
Credit control policies
The company took legal action against 522 of its members between 30 March and 15 September 1999 for non-payment of subscriptions. Many of these were in fact members who did not want to renew and had allowed their membership to lapse, or who had not given the required 1-month's notice stipulated in the contract. The judge at the Small Claims Court criticised the company for allowing the credit to roll on for at least one month before taking action. The company argued that its policy was to avoid unilateral termination by them as it would cause members to pay a rejoining fee.[
]
Monitor complaints in Singapore
California Fitness clubs in Singapore were hit by a significant number of consumer complaints filed against them with the Consumers Association of Singapore
A consumer is a person or a group who intends to order, or uses purchased goods, products, or services primarily for personal, social, family, household and similar needs, who is not directly related to entrepreneurial or business activities. T ...
(CASE) between 2011 and 2014. Gripes against California Fitness and a rival True Fitness made up more than three-quarters of 86 complaints involving fitness clubs filed last year with the former receiving 35 complaints against it in 2013. As of April 2014 nine complaints were filed against California Fitness with CASE.
California WOW Xperience
California Fitness centers (CalFit) in Thailand began operating in 2002, were sold (or rebranded) as California WOW Xperience ()in 2005 (CalWow), a totally separate company yet started by people with connections to 24 Hour Fitness founders like Mark Mastrov
Mark S. Mastrov is an American businessman who is the founder and former CEO of 24 Hour Fitness. He is also part of the Sacramento Kings ownership group.
Career
The 24 Hour Fitness began in 1983 as a one-club operation called 24 Hour Nautilus. M ...
, with the California Fitness founder Eric Levine as the CEO, bringing in outside investors such as Bank of Ayutthaya. In Thailand this allowed it fund a domestic expansion from 2 to over 13 locations as well as then expanded to many countries, including Korea, outside Thailand as franchise locations. The franchises didn't last more than 2 years in Korea, these franchisees abruptly closed doors on members in Korea by 2006, who had been sold expensive lifetime memberships. The cross-membership agreements between California Fitness and 24 Hour Fitness were rolled into California WOW Xperience, however once financials became worrisome in August 2008, cross-memberships were terminated between CalWow and 24 Hour Fitness (USA), but remained between Asian chains CalWow and CalFit and between CalFit and 24 Hour Fitness. In August 2008, California Fitness and 24 Hour Fitness
24 Hour Fitness is a privately owned and operated fitness center chain headquartered in Carlsbad, California. It is the second largest fitness chain in the United States based on revenue after LA Fitness, and the fourth in number of clubs (behi ...
were terminated. In 2009, Malaysian branches of CalFit were sold to Celebrity Fitness
Celebrity Fitness is a fitness center operator with a network of clubs across Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, and India. Every Celebrity Fitness club offers personal training, yoga, spinning / indoor cycling and group fitness programs for ...
, whose founders also had ties to 24 Hour Fitness. Despite company changes, California WOW Xperience is still frequently confused with California Fitness.
In 2012, California WOW Xperience found itself entangled in a financial dispute and was sued in Thailand's Bankruptcy Court by Bangkok Bank Plc. which sought the repayment of a 72 million baht loan including 4 million baht in interest. As a result, California WOW Xperience shut down seven of its eight branches in Thailand. The company faced much criticism for continuing to sign up customers at the various branches until their date of closing. In August 2012, more than 200 members, many of whom found themselves unable to travel to California WOW Xperience's single remaining Thailand branch to make use of long term or lifetime memberships, filed complaints against the company in hopes of being refunded. The Foundation for Consumers along with 100 former customers have filed a lawsuit against California WOW Xperience which is now awaiting a court order. Incidentally, this was also the very same month 24 Hour Fitness
24 Hour Fitness is a privately owned and operated fitness center chain headquartered in Carlsbad, California. It is the second largest fitness chain in the United States based on revenue after LA Fitness, and the fourth in number of clubs (behi ...
was sold in USA. At roughly the same time, CalFit Taiwan gyms abruptly closed on customers, some who had been sold lifetime memberships, and these became World Gym
World Gym International LLC is an American fitness center founded in 1976 by Joe Gold during the glory days of " Muscle Beach" in Venice Beach, California. Joe Gold is also the founder of Gold's Gym, another gym chain, which he sold in 1973. The g ...
centers. Membership was honored at the new gym over for a few months and then terminated.
In 2016, CalFit itself abruptly closed doors on members in Hong Kong
Hong Kong ( (US) or (UK); , ), officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China ( abbr. Hong Kong SAR or HKSAR), is a city and special administrative region of China on the eastern Pearl River Delt ...
and Singapore
Singapore (), officially the Republic of Singapore, is a sovereign island country and city-state in maritime Southeast Asia. It lies about one degree of latitude () north of the equator, off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, borde ...
, some who had been sold lifetime memberships.
Watchdog complaints in Hong Kong
In April 2016, Consumer Council
A consumer is a person or a group who intends to order, or uses purchased goods, products, or services primarily for personal, social, family, household and similar needs, who is not directly related to entrepreneurial or business activities. T ...
censured California Fitness for intimidation and misleading sales practices. The council said complaints regarding California Fitness had increased continuously in the previous few years, from 227 cases in 2013 to 296 cases in 2015, despite the council having already given several warnings. In 2015, California Fitness represented more than half of the complaints regarding fitness centres, and the value involved reached to 8.5 million Hong Kong dollars.[ The council had met with company management in January, and made its censure public after the situation failed to improve.][ In most of the cases, The sales use "free trial" or "free gift" as excused to attract new customers to enter their centre and collect identity card and credit card from the customers, then convince, mislead and force them to sign the contracts and pay for membership, as well as training courses. Some of the sales even force the customers to take a picture with smiling face to prove the contracts are based on their own willing. Some of the cases involve persons with intellectual disability.
Two members of staff were arrested by customs officers on 18 May after a customer claimed she had been coerced into paying for private training classes after her credit card was charged HK$140,000 without her consent. The two staff at the Causeway Bay branch of the gym operator chain were accused of violating the unfair trade practice provision under the Trade Descriptions Ordinance.]
Financial difficulties
JV Fitness, the company that operates the chain, were reported in July 2016 to be owing some HK$130 million for rents and other operating costs in Hong Kong. A number of landlords and building contractors had filed writs with the High Court for debts owed to them.[ A petition to wind up the company was lodged with the court in early July 2016, and creditors including prepaid members and staff have been coming forward.][ Five of its outlets had shut as of 7 July; one branch in Beijing was closed from 8 July for "internal reorganisation".] All outlets owned and operated by JV Fitness, the holding company, were officially closed on 12 July, and two senior executives were being interrogated by the Customs and Excise on suspicion of violating trade description law. On 20 July it was announced that all its gyms in Singapore would also close.
References
External links
{{Commons category, California Fitness
California Fitness
Health clubs
Medical and health organisations based in Hong Kong
Defunct companies of Hong Kong
Health care companies established in 1996
Companies disestablished in 2016
Hong Kong brands