The discount fitness segment, which offers members a comprehensive range of products at attractive prices, is experiencing the strongest growth rates within the German fitness market. The increasing importance of a healthy and conscious lifestyle boosts the growing customer demand and opens up further potential for the largest national fitness market in Europe.

Since its foundation in 2003, the Ai Fitness Group has proven to be a pioneer in the premium discount fitness segment. With its consistent "all inclusive" offer, the group now has far more than 100,000 members in its 28 clubs. Founded in 2008, the jumpers Group is one of the leading providers in the southern German region. Based on a modern concept with a very good price-performance ratio the number of clubs has increased from ten to currently 36 and the number of members from approx. 20,000 to almost 90,000 since NORD Holding Unternehmensbeteiligungsgesellschaft joined the group in 2013.

With the newly founded BestFit Group the parties are pursuing the aim of making even greater use of these market opportunities and achieving a comprehensive national market position for the group through further acquisitions. Stephan Schulan, founder and managing director of jumpers fitness: "In Ai Fitness we have found a strong player, whose acquisition will enable us to achieve high-quality and sustainable growth. Our goal is 100 clubs by 2023". While Schulan takes over the management of the BestFit Group, Ai Fitness founder Marius Neugebauer, who will hold a significant share in the group, joins the advisory board.

Responsible for the transaction process was edelhelfer GmbH as M&A advisor to the seller side. "We are very proud to have realised one of the largest transactions on the German fitness market in the intensive cooperation with all parties involved and also especially against the background of the corona pandemic," comments Niels Gronau, Managing Director of edelhelfer, on the transaction. "jumpers and Ai Fitness complement each other perfectly both geographically and structurally and have significant development potential".

Source: edelhelfer, jumpers fitness, Ai Fitness, NORD Holding
Picture: edelhelfer, jumpers fitness, Ai Fitness, NORD Holding