ABC Fitness Solutions’ comprehensive solution will help Crunch Fitness deliver exceptional growth beyond COVID-19.
ABC Fitness Solutions, LLC (ABC), the leading provider of technology and related services for the fitness industry, and Crunch Fitness, the health club brand known for making serious fitness fun through innovative programming and an inclusive atmosphere, announced today the extension of their technology partnership as Crunch accelerates their growth throughout the pandemic. ABC will continue to provide strategic support and innovative technology to help Crunch optimize business functions such as revenue-cycle management, membership management and club administration.
ABC and Crunch have worked together since 2014 and even more closely during COVID-19. ABC’s agile response to deliver scalable solutions to help clubs grow amid the pandemic played a significant role in Crunch’s decision to continue its partnership. ABC worked alongside Crunch to support franchisees and members in the pivot to digital fitness and quickly implement new automated processes to manage the closing and reopening of clubs across the nation.
In particular, ABC’s revenue-cycle management system enabled Crunch franchisees to seamlessly manage billing and payments as well as the freezing and unfreezing of millions of member accounts throughout the pandemic. The company also rolled out several new tools, including the technology solution behind the Crunch-o-Meter. The Crunch-o-Meter allows Crunch members to see real-time gym capacity levels while giving club operators the ability to enforce occupancy limits to meet social distancing regulations.
Even though many fitness chains faced unprecedented business challenges, Crunch and its franchisees have enjoyed significant growth in the last year, seeing memberships rise by 6% and unveiling 36 new clubs during the pandemic. It is currently on track to reach 400 locations by the end of 2021 and surpass 500 gyms in 2022. As the brand’s footprint rapidly expands, its partners must possess the ability to adapt and grow alongside them while maintaining the same quality of support at every level. As such, scalability and flexibility were critical components in the decision to extend their partnership with ABC.
“Opening more than 100 facilities per year in our next stage of growth, we knew it was important to have a partner who could scale with us today and in the future,” said Dan Gallagher, the chief financial officer at Crunch Fitness. “ABC has shown time and time again that they are uniquely positioned in the market to provide configurable software and on-the-ground support across our entire franchise. From the start, our relationship has been one of collaboration, with ABC supporting us every step of the way especially during the pandemic. We are excited to see what we will accomplish together in the coming years.”
Crunch Fitness’ executive vice president, Mike Neff added, “The comprehensive solution not only continues to improve our franchisee satisfaction, but it’s also the foundation to our differentiating offering to delight our members. ABC is well-positioned to deliver next generation of club management solutions that will help us provide amazing member experiences and streamline club operations.”
“The rise of digital fitness has enabled members to truly own their fitness experience during the pandemic. Now, as the industry recovers and consumer expectations change, there is a growing need for club operators to invest in solutions that help them better meet their members’ evolving needs,” said Mike Escobedo, the chief client officer of ABC Fitness Solutions. “Crunch has been ahead of the curve in embracing technology to augment the member experience, and it has paid dividends. We are thrilled to expand our collaboration.”
In addition to personalized and scalable technology and support services, the new partnership will also deliver significant cost savings to Crunch Fitness, allowing them to focus their attention on growth rather than designing and building an internal support system for their growing franchise network.