Getting to know Revo Fitness
Unwrap sits down with Andrew Holder, Managing Director of Revo Fitness, for a chat leading up to the LFRA NSW August Forum.
- As one of the LFRA’s newest Retail Members, who is Revo Fitness and what is your mission?
Revo Fitness (pronounced Reh-vo) was founded in 2012 and our mission is to make fitness more accessible.
We achieve this through affordable pricing, high quality fit outs, and no hidden costs. The industry is full of barriers to entry including start up fees, yearly fees, and other ways to bill members.
For us it is one simple membership offering which creates a sense of comfort across our community which is a great thing. We also offer 24/7 access to all gyms, catering to all needs, all hours of the day, every day of the week.
We make the gym simple.
- How is Revo Fitness different from other gyms or fitness providers?
Because the health and fitness industry is highly competitive we have to innovate and do things differently. Our biggest point of difference is our member-first mentality.
Originally, I started Revo Fitness because I could not find a fitness service offering that I personally wanted to train at.
As for my background, I have a degree majoring in Marketing, Management and Entrepreneurship from the University of Western Australia and saw a gap within the high-value, low-cost fitness industry.
At that time, I was striving to become a professional cricketer for Western Australia and wanted to find a place and call it my own – a gym with a contemporary vibe and like-minded people for an affordable price. A price available for everyone. There really was not anything like that available.
I created Revo Fitness myself and bootstrapped it from the start. Being bootstrapped allowed us to grow through feedback and listening to our members. Not just following industry fads and or trends. You find new ways to improve, and always have a member-first mentality.
There is a need to listen, analyse feedback and continuously improve the business model. I believe that it is this continuous refinement and continuous improvement makes Revo Fitness different from the rest of the market.
And it is all about relationships, not a “one and done” mentality for us. We look after our members, look after our staff, and look after the neighbouring businesses around us.
We co-exist and want to build meaningful relationships with everyone so that we can succeed together.
- How does Revo Fitness attempt to remove barriers of entry and daunting ideas of gyms to create a comfortable and welcoming environment for its members?
Revo Fitness does not tend to facilitate for one style of training and offers a personable environment with longer staffing hours than other historical 24/7 gyms.
Because we operate in Large Format Retail spaces of 1,000 sqm – 3,000 sqm, it means members can train with privacy and space. Our fit outs are not bold, loud and colourful.
They are muted, refined and contemporary which allows more people to feel comfortable and create a space that is inviting for the first time user and seasoned professional.
All Revo Fitness facilities have an in-club live counter on our website which monitors the number of people in the gym at any one time. This was developed during Covid to help people feel more comfortable and have the confidence in coming to the gym when it was not so busy.
Revo Fitness discovered that because of this live counter addition it smoothed out foot traffic throughout the day – meaning more available car parks and more access to equipment.
Revo Fitness does not offer classes which historically impacts parking which is a huge benefit to co-exist in LFR spaces, however we do offer HIITFIT On Demand Revo’s very own 24/7, self-run circuit program which members can access in club at any time of the day.
Our price point is also a major factor because people do not want to pay through the roof. No hidden fees and or unnecessary one-off costs to ensure our member has transparency and trust in our product offering.
Revo Fitness also does not have lock-in contracts of 12 months, 18 months etc. which means members can come and go as they please and this is an important consideration for people starting their fitness journey.
- What is your vision for growing Revo Fitness in Australia?
Currently we have 19 facilities across the country but will have 50 by the end of 2023 across New South Wales, Victoria, and South Australia, in addition to our home-state of Western Australia.
We have a really strong growth plan and have been working hard on our pipeline over the past 24 months.
Our focus is on the growth and development in the eastern states in addition to looking after our foundation members in WA where we are continuously improving existing facilities and finding new locations to facilitate our member experience and growth
Revo Fitness has the goal for 100 locations nationally to help Australians access fitness affordably and lead healthy and balanced lifestyles.
- And you’ve won a couple of awards recently, namely the Murdoch University People’s Choice Award and the 40under40 Award. Congratulations! Can you tell us about the awards and how does it feel to be recognised and supported by the community?
Personally, it is very rewarding and a great recognition.
I started Revo Fitness as a 21-year-old following a dream and a passion, offering a service that I thought was missing in the Australian health and fitness industry.
The award that really means a lot though is the People’s Choice Award because it demonstrates how engaged our community is with our brand, how engaged we are with the community, how much of a positive impact we are having on people’s lives, and how Revo Fitness has transformed the perception of health and fitness.
- How can interested LFRA Members collaborate with Revo Fitness?
We are here to collaborate. Whether it is marketing opportunities, engaging/assisting new development sites and or leasing opportunities. We are here to work with landlords and other retail members to get a great result for everyone.
The main priority for Revo Fitness is to have a positive impact in the community. We know how important health and fitness is, particularly coming out of a pandemic.
A really important factor for us is creating a comfortable environment where people can train with a positive mindset which they can then take home, or to work or wherever they go next.
We know how important the community is to LFRA Members and we know how great we can co-exist with other LFRA Members and positively contribute to the success of their businesses.
- And finally, what can we expect from Revo Fitness in coming months?
Revo Fitness is going to have an exciting end of calendar year with lots happening.
We will be entering the South Australian market with openings, and we are looking to explore other opportunities there too.
Our Shellharbour gym in NSW will open soon, in addition to new sites across Victoria and Western Australia.
We have plenty happening in the pipeline to build out our roadmap of locations into 2023, and we have built the bandwidth to sustain it.
