Why Singapore’s big-box gyms are losing to niche fitness studios
Por Kolette Lim — South China Morning Post – News feed
Advertisement Singapore This Week in Asia Economics Why Singapore’s big-box gyms are losing to niche fitness studios
Traditional gyms are struggling to compete with 24-hour budget chains on price and specialised boutique studios on community experience
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Kolette Lim Published: 6:05pm, 18 Sep 2026
Property agent Raymond Heng had suspected True Fitness was struggling, but he did not expect the gym he had visited for more than a decade to disappear overnight.
The closure was not entirely surprising given the region’s fiercely competitive fitness industry, but its abruptness left Heng, 47, in disbelief after paying S$8,800 (US$6,900) for a lifetime membership in 2013.
“I guessed that they might not have been doing that well since branches have been closing over the years, but I did not expect the whole chain to disappear just like that,” he said.
Heng is among the many fitness fans left searching for a new gym after True Fitness abruptly ceased all operations in Singapore last week. Parent company Kontafarma China Holdings cited cost pressures and intense market competition for winding up the business. Select Voice Select Speed 0.8x 0.9x 1.0x 1.1x 1.2x 1.5x 1.75x 00:00 00:00 1x AI-generated voice
