Basic-Fit Bolsters Germany Push With $61M Acquisition of wellyou

The low-price gym giant is adding another 41 clubs as it continues building scale in one of Europe’s biggest fitness markets

Europe’s largest fitness operator is doubling down on Germany.

Basic-Fit has agreed to acquire wellyou, a German fitness chain with 41 company-owned clubs and approximately 110,000 members, for €52 million ($61 million) in cash, expanding its owned footprint in Germany from 74 to 115 clubs. 

The transaction is expected to close in the third quarter, subject to regulatory approval. 

The deal marks Basic-Fit’s second notable acquisition in Germany in less than a year after the high-value, low-price (HVLP) operator agreed to acquire Clever Fit in a €160 million deal in late 2025. That transaction added nearly 500 clubs across several European countries and signaled a shift in Basic-Fit’s growth strategy toward acquisitions alongside new club development.

Basic-Fit said it plans to rebrand the wellyou locations after the acquisition closes, expecting the clubs to eventually achieve financial performance in line with the company’s existing portfolio. The acquisition values wellyou at roughly 5.3 times its projected 2025 club EBITDA and will be funded entirely from Basic-Fit’s existing cash position. 

“The acquisition of wellyou and the subsequent rebranding of these clubs to Basic-Fit will accelerate our path to critical mass in Germany,” the operator said in a statement announcing the acquisition. “Once we reach approximately 200 Basic-Fit branded clubs in the market, we will be able to intensify our marketing investment, driving stronger brand recognition and improved membership conversion across the German network.”

The acquisition also aligns with the company’s updated growth strategy unveiled during its April Capital Markets Day. Rather than relying primarily on opening new clubs, Basic-Fit is pursuing growth through three channels: organic expansion, acquisitions and franchising, giving the company greater flexibility to allocate capital toward the highest-return opportunities across Europe. 

With more than 2,150 clubs and over 6 million memberships, Basic-Fit is Europe’s largest fitness operator and franchisor. The European fitness market is growing fast: memberships reached 75.5 million by year-end 2025, up from 71.4 million in 2024, according to a report from Deloitte and EuropeActive, the non-profit trade organization representing Europe’s fitness and physical activity sector. 

Total revenue climbed 9.1% to 39.1 billion euros ($44.5 billion), driven in part by higher yield per member across most markets.