WORLD CLASS FITNESS CLUBS SCARED THE AUTHORITIES WITH BANKRUPTCY

The other day it became known that a letter from Olga Slutsker, the president of a chain of fitness clubs, operating under the World Class trademark, was sent to the name of Deputy Prime Minister Andrei Belousov in April. In the letter, the head of the Sport Forum Company (the legal entity, managing the chain of clubs) warned that the company would face bankruptcy and that the employees would lose their jobs.

In the text of the letter, the president of the company indicated the amount of taxes (5.5 billion rubles) that the clubs had paid over the past three years as well.

The authorities, represented by Belousov, were reminded that the company in question was the company, occupying a leading position in the most capital-intensive segments ("luxury" and "premium") and managing a chain of 100 clubs, half of which were being operated under the franchise model. Whether Olga Slutsker really managed to scare the representatives of the executive branch by the dismissal of 6,000 workers in the industry is unknown, but the network eventually entered the list of system-forming organizations.

According to the experts, the company has already managed to take an advantage of part of the benefits, requested from the Government two months ago without resuming work.

Slutsker herself admits that the letter was sent even before the current system of appeal of business representatives to the government was established. As a result, the company got the opportunity to apply for the state assistance allocated to enterprises affected by the coronavirus. Whether it was the result of an appeal and the letter, pointing to the numerous “merits” or the stars just aligned in this way, it is not clear yet, after all, not only the World Class chain applied to the government.

In early June, Boris Titov came up with a proposal to align the fitness enterprises with small and medium-sized businesses. It would have allowed the provision of appropriate subsidies, through which the employees could have received the salaries. If the World Class chain currently manages to maintain jobs and allow the fitness clubs resume work, this does not mean that other enterprises of the industry will be able to do the same. Many enterprises were forced to send their employees on unpaid leave.

According to the forecasts of the experts, about 60% of enterprises of the industry run the risk of complete termination of their work after lifting of the restrictions, imposed by the authorities.

It is known that the mass shutdowns of the fitness enterprises due to a pandemic took place at the end of March. Since then, the issue of continued existence for many sports clubs and fitness centers has become very relevant. According to the requirements of the Federal Service for Supervision of Consumers Protection that have been published earlier, the opening of the fitness facilities is assigned only to the third stage of the regime of restrictions lifting. It will be impossible for many enterprises to avoid bankruptcy without the support of the state.