Women's Gym Curves Hits a Wall

Curves, the chain of storefront gyms for women, was once one of the fastest-growing franchises and rivaled well-established national fitness clubs for number of members.

But after robust growth, Curves is slowing down. More than 1,000 Curves shut down in the U.S. last year, while 35 new ones opened, the Wall Street Journal reports. Over the past three years, U.S. sites fell by a third to 5,208, according to the Journal.

The chain’s operator Curves International Inc. developed a concept that resonated with many women who were intimidated by bigger health clubs. Curves provided 30-minute workouts in small settings only for women.

At the end of 2008, Curves had 4 million members, compared with 3.5 million for Gold’s Gym International Inc., the Journal reports. The problem, according to the report, is that Curves didn’t keep up with trends, including more flexible hours. Rivals like Snap Fitness Inc. and Anytime Fitness provided 24-hour options, while some Curves sites weren’t even open for lunch.

Curves President Mike Raymond says the closures are part of a plan to “prune the system” and denies that the chain isn’t keeping up with current trends.

Clearly, the recession is hurting business but one franchisee tells Dow Jones reporter Richard Gibson that the company's marketing approach is wrong.

"There is also a perception that the Curves workout is a 'sissy workout,' which is a complete misunderstanding," says Jim Gasson, who runs multiple franchises in northern Virginia.