perFACE shapes up as perfect solution for some

Ayra Wang

"Medical beauty" group perFACE has hired about 200 former employees of the now-defunct gym chain Physical Fitness, including 60 instructors, while taking over its fitness business.

The 38-year-old Physical Fitness chain suddenly closed last month and its Wan Chai branch reopened under the name "Healthy," funded by a new investor.

That branch was renamed again as "perFIT" after perFACE announced on Friday it was taking over part of Physical Fitness' existing operations.

Former Physical Fitness instructors taken in by perFACE expressed satisfaction with the new contract offer, with staff reporting for their first day of work at perFIT yesterday.

"I can tell that perFACE is a sustainable company, as the company has explained its operation structure," said Ng, one of the coaches.

She admitted feeling helpless after "Healthy" disappeared two weeks after taking over the Wan Chai branch. Ng added that she is satisfied with the new conditions perFACE offered.

Mok, who had been with Physical Fitness for about eight years, said he is optimistic about the future of perFIT, although he noted that the company has yet to disclose its long-term strategy.

"perFACE is a large-scale company and already went public, so I'm not worried that the owership of the chain would change hands again," Mok said.

He said about 20 of his former customers would continue training at perFIT, but admitted losing some clients, which could potentially lower his earnings.

But Mok was confident that customers would come back once the business gains momentum.

A customer named Wong, who had spent about HK$10,000 on a permanent membership with Physical Fitness, said he would give consent to the new company to transfer his information and payment records.

perFIT staffers are currently stationed at the Wan Chai branch at Capital Building, while the Mong Kok branch at Hollywood Plaza, which is under renovation, will be reopened next week. "The company is aiming to rehire all former employees of Physical Fitness and reopen branches at the original locations, although costs may influence these plans," spokeswoman for perFIT said.

She clarified that perFACE was introduced to Physical Fitness via an intermediary on September 21, and customer data will be transferred from the old gym to the new company directly upon customers' consent.

PerFACE is under parent company Fameglow Holdings, which was founded in 2008 by a couple Fu Chi-ching and Danny Yip Chun-kwok and was listed on Hong Kong Stock Exchange in 2018.

Meanwhile, the MTR Corp filed a writ in the District Court on Monday, accusing Physical Fitness of not paying rent and utilities of over HK$2.79 million from December last year to May at the Telford Plaza branch.

The fitness chain had failed to pay management fees since December and owed over HK$1 million between January and May.

MTRC requested the chain's two directors, Luk Ngai-keung and his wife Ho Yuk-wah, to pay about HK$320,000 after deducting from the deposit.