Local Gym Closes After Six Years

As of Friday, January 4, 2013

BY TED M. NATT JR.

Staff Writer

The local economy took another hit earlier this week when about 20 people lost their jobs after The Body Shop fitness center on U.S. 1 in Southern Pines closed due to declining membership.

"There's just not enough money coming in the doors," said owner Dave Whitney, who opened the gym six years ago. "We've had more declines on credit cards and checking accounts. A membership is only good to us if people can pay. If they don't have the money, unfortunately we can't push it."

Whitney, who also owns Mac's Breakfast Anytime restaurants, said he lowered the monthly membership rate from $19.99 to $15.99 last summer in an effort to boost revenue.

"It was an incentive during one of our slowest times," he said. "But people can't afford it. We've been running a negative balance for two years. It just got to the point that we couldn't keep the doors open."

The Body Shop built its membership to 1,700 people within a year of opening in 2006, but that number slowly dwindled during the recession and stood at about 1,100 when Whitney shuttered the business last Sunday.

"Mainly, I'd like to apologize to all my customers for closing and thank them for their business," he said. "We've had a lot of great people come in here. We've had some loyal people who have been with us since Day One."

Whitney said members' contracts are being referred to Gold's Gym on Morganton Road in Southern Pines.

The Body Shop closing came on the heels of last week's news that Gulistan Carpet is closing its operations in Aberdeen and Wagram, eliminating nearly 400 jobs.

"I don't know of a business that has improved in the past three years," Whitney said. "Moore County used to be insulated by its retirement population. That's no longer the case."

The Body Shop's demise is enabling East Coast CrossFit to double in size to 8,000 square feet by taking space formerly occupied by the gym.

"It's bittersweet because we had great synergy with The Body Shop and gave customers options to stay healthy," said Jason Weiss, co-owner of East Coast CrossFit.

Weiss and his wife, Holly, bought the business from Whitney two years ago.

"Dave was always good to us. He's a great guy," Jason Weiss said. "I'm bummed out that it didn't work out for him. It's a real shame."

East Coast CrossFit, which has 75 members, focuses on small classes taught by CrossFit athletes certified to be coaches.

"We shoot for one coach per seven members. If it gets larger than that, we add another class," Weiss said. "It's pretty much a personal training session every time."

East Coast CrossFit offers potential members two free classes before signing on the dotted line.

"You can't put people through these kinds of workouts without first giving them an idea of what they're in for," Weiss said. "We want people to be here because they want to be here."

East Coast CrossFit, which is open Monday through Saturday from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m., also offers day care and parent-child classes.

"Our first focus is the health of the community," Weiss said.

Contact Ted M. Natt Jr. at (910) 693-2474 or tnatt@the pilot.com.

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Easygoing 4 months, 2 weeks ago

So the gym closes and a Waffle House opens, speaks mountains

annaanddale 4 months, 2 weeks ago

I've been told that our memberships have been transferred to Golds and we have to continue there. O no we dont bc that was NOT IN OUR CONTRACT! U can't tell us which gym we have to go to! Gold's Gym better not try to pull this over. They said if we cancel our drafts, it will be reported to collections if they decide to go thru with this! Mac's Breaksfast...your next!!(they r the owners of the gym)

DaveyNC 4 months, 2 weeks ago

I went in there a few months ago to see about joining. The guy who showed me around was obese, slovenly and seemed very disinterested in whether I joined or not. And, to get that low monthly rate I had to sign a multi year contract which now, of course, would be worthless.

Say, there was a rumor a while back about a YMCA coming to town. Anybody know anything about that?

Toda 4 months, 2 weeks ago

I haven' t heard anything about a YMCA ... but I called First Health last week. I was transferred 3 times before someone in the business office could answer my questions. I was told the fee was 49 to 50$ or "something like that" ... the lady was vague.

I'll stick with my treadmill and weights in the basement....

Mozambique 4 months, 2 weeks ago

Forgive me while I vent for a minute, but this is not a matter of declining incomes in their patrons; rather, it's due to a poor business acumen that seems to plague so many small businesses around here. First Health's gym in Pinehurst costs $65 for one month (a little less if you commit to a few months at a time), and they are usually quite packed inside, so there must be other reasons why The Body Shop has failed.

How come I've lived here for 6 years and this is the first I've heard of them? You can't have zero marketing/advertising and just expect people will come from word-of-mouth or drive-by curiosity. Get creative. Today by Golden Corral I saw a kid jumping up and down on a mattress trying to sell beds (I assume). You have to do stuff like that. Also, look at the front of the building. It looks like a Fayetteville-style dry cleaner/sew shop/barber with all those two-dollar stickers covering the windows and a faded sign on top. The inside might be immaculate, but many people won't set foot in it because it looks like a men's bathhouse from the outside.

Bottom line, you have to take the money you make and reinvest it correctly back into your business by advertising and making constant improvements. Everyone around here whines about large corporate chains taking over everything, but many small business owners don't want to put in the hard work and humility it takes to compete. "Southern charm" can only get you so far. Eventually you have to produce a better product/service for a comparable price with excellent customer service; aka––the basics.

packwilleat 4 months, 2 weeks ago

Elections have consequences. Anyone starting to see a pattern?

Spocks_Brain 4 months, 2 weeks ago

Mozambique that's ridiculous there were 1700 members at one point that's like half of the equivalent of Aberdeen...plus Dave is ultra pro active and known by many...everything has a life cycle including businesses

coffecreme 4 months, 2 weeks ago

clarabelle 4 months, 2 weeks ago

" DaveyNC - I went in there a few months ago to see about joining. The guy who showed me around was obese, slovenly and seemed very disinterested in whether I joined or not."

damn........... I didn't know fugitiveguy worked there

OldPilot 4 months, 2 weeks ago

As usual "packwilleat" comes up with a nonsense comment having nothing to do with the subject matter.

packwilleat 4 months, 2 weeks ago

Oldpilot ~ "connect the dots" was not one of your strong suits was it? Maybe you should stick to finger painting.

http://theeconomiccollapseblog.com/archives/share-this-massive-list-of-post-election-firings-and-layoffs-with-everyone-you-can

clarabelle 4 months, 2 weeks ago

packwilleat - at the count of 3........ 1-2-3............BLAH BLAH BLAH...............

packwilleat 4 months, 2 weeks ago

Clarabelle ~ since you're so smart, how about you tell me and the rest on here what the causes of widespread layoffs and closings are, and how you intend to counter act it. Just remember you can't force a tree to produce more fruit or threaten a chicken to lay more eggs.

rightwingpatriot 4 months, 2 weeks ago

to be honest the gym sucked, staff lacked motivation, It was always dirty, not laid out very well, i know a lot of people who just chose to leave as i did.

clarabelle 4 months, 2 weeks ago

"packwilleat - Clarabelle ~ since you're so smart, how about you tell me and the rest on here what the causes of widespread layoffs and closings are, and how you intend to counter act it. "

well............... first I would get rid of all the republican obstructionists.......all of them!

then - I would advise you to quit your walmart greeters job - as you are probably close to 90............ and let someone else fill that position.

There - one less unemployed............. cheers :)

njc17 4 months, 2 weeks ago

Getting in and out of that place was murder, it was a Value Furniture store for years and just as dangerous when furniture trucks went in and out. Mr Whitney knows business but it's restaurants he knows. As for moving memberships to Golds?? BAAAAAADDD move, that has a main office nasty to work with. Local folks are very nice, but the Wilmingtom business office will not let anybody out of contracts except by an act of God. First health was a joy to work with especially the Yadkin group. Never had a problem with them.

packwilleat 4 months, 2 weeks ago

Clarabelle ~ for once I agree with you. Let's kick all the Republicans out, and the Democrats too!! And then hire them to take over my Wal-Mart greeter job. It may be the only thing they are qualified for.

djcalaska 4 months, 2 weeks ago

Another business down.. Sorry for the owner, patrons and employees..

Crash11 4 months, 2 weeks ago

Mozambique is 100% spot on about the outside of the gym...can you picture dozens of 60 plus seniors coming in and out of body shop? I'm a member of First Health and have spoken to people (seniors and women) about switching to a cheaper gym and the ones I talked to boils down to them not feeling safe/comfortable at Body Shop OR Golds Gym. Maybe those aren't fair assumptions but it's straight from the consumers mouth.

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