Matrix Gym Drogheda, closed down

Lantus · 03-04-2012 10:54AM #1

Members will of received a txt this am to advise them that the gym is closed, indeed it is as I went down and the shutters are down with a sign on the door advising of such.

This is a permanent closure this time around for good so there wont be another re-location to anywhere else.

As per previous threads on this matter and MOD advice please dont abuse the owners or staff (or me!)

SFX Gym on the northside of town (which I have no affliation with at all, only went down there for the first time this am as you cannot get through on the phone) are offering all members a intro offer of €125 for the first year as a sweetner to soften the blow. I would advise all matrix members to go up and have a look around to see if it will meet their needs. Their usual fee is about €250 a year I believe.

They are going to be attempting to contact all old matrix members to advise them of such. Offer is available for 2 weeks after which the usual annual fee applies.

Good luck to all Matrix members (like me) in finding a new home over the coming weeks and sorry for all the staff that worked there.

If anyone has any other alternatives of gyms in and around the town they feel would be good please post up.

cannotremember · 03-04-2012 11:22AM

Where exactly is SFX gym?

Lantus · 03-04-2012 11:37AM

The top of the ballymakenny road as your heading north, past the rugby club in the same place where cyber academy used to be. It's well marked with a big sign.

The Guvnor · 03-04-2012 04:28PM

Is Matrix the one which was originally in the mill and was then in the estate just outside the town where it had a pool?

As I understand it SFX is not bad but not very big?

How many other gyms in Drog?

The one in Grange Rath is still there or gone?

Boyne Valley hotel is still there? Is there an aura?

Not saying any of the above are good for lifters but...:)

If any of you lads are on the northside of town perhaps Dundalk is not that bad a stretch - JJB or Felda?

cc87 · 03-04-2012 05:01PM

A lot of talk of JJB closing soon as well so i would be wary of joining there with an any way long term membership

Zamboni · 03-04-2012 05:13PM

Lantus wrote: »

SFX Gym on the northside of town (which I have no affliation with at all, only went down there for the first time this am as you cannot get through on the phone) are offering all members a intro offer of €125 for the first year as a sweetner to soften the blow. I would advise all matrix members to go up and have a look around to see if it will meet their needs. Their usual fee is about €250 a year I believe.
They are going to be attempting to contact all old matrix members to advise them of such. Offer is available for 2 weeks after which the usual annual fee applies.

My inner Data Protection Commissioner wonders how SFX got the membership information from Matrix Gym...

Eoghan89 · 03-04-2012 05:41PM

Only paid my membership in full two week's ago... Any way of getting anything back or am i pissing in the wind??

Mickery · 03-04-2012 06:32PM

Eoghan89 wrote: »

Only paid my membership in full two week's ago... Any way of getting anything back or am i pissing in the wind??

If you paid by credit card you could try ringing the credit card company and say you didn't get what you paid for.

I paid for a hotel voucher which the credit card company reimbursed me for when the hotel closed. They then went and chased up the hotel \ company themselves.

Lantus · 03-04-2012 06:46PM

Eoghan89 wrote: »

Only paid my membership in full two week's ago... Any way of getting anything back or am i pissing in the wind??

If it was credit card you may get a refund on their insurance, best ring and find out. I'm going to do the same but it was a while ago I joined so less chance for me.

Isn't JJb in Dundalk?? cheers for the heads up anyway.

Eoghan89 · 03-04-2012 06:52PM

Mickery wrote: »

If you paid by credit card you could try ringing the credit card company and say you didn't get what you paid for.

I paid for a hotel voucher which the credit card company reimbursed me for when the hotel closed. They then went and chased up the hotel \ company themselves.

Was a laser card??

Lantus · 03-04-2012 07:07PM

Eoghan89 wrote: »

Was a laser card??

two hopes I'm afraid, laser is basically cash direct from your account. Sorry man, thats bad.

The Davestator · 03-04-2012 07:07PM

I have a lot of info about this but as per OP, I can't say much. Suffice to say that this is not the first time this owner has closed a club and left people high and dry.

As for SFX - it's a great club, it's moved to a bigger premises and now offer classes. I've no affiliation to it.

brit1234 · 03-04-2012 08:18PM

Got the bad news today ...... Only paid full membership 2 months ago......... thanks for the info about the credit card -will check what they say about the refund
apparently the sfx gym received a lot of angry phone calls from matrix members....
such a way of closing business

contacted gardai and they said it's civil matter, and they can't do anything about it - it's contract between you and the owner

so the only way to get something done is to start a civil action against the owner, but for that a lot of people would have to get together

COH · 03-04-2012 09:42PM

SFX gym looks savage.. some very strong guys training outta there

Lantus · 03-04-2012 11:01PM

SFX offered me a day pass to try it out so I'd assume they would anyone else interested as well if you asked.

It's understandable that people would be pretty angry but it's not the fault of SFX. They are on the one hand trying to develop their own business and gain new customers and on the other offering a bit of hope to people who've been stung.

Sorry to hear about people that have only recently signed up.

The Guvnor · 04-04-2012 08:55AM

cc87 wrote: »

A lot of talk of JJB closing soon as well so i would be wary of joining there with an any way long term membership

There has been talk of this for years now.

It could well happen - I do not know but as they have turned the shop into a clearance outlet it does appear to have some longevity.

As I understand it Felda and JJB are not on each other's christmas card list so there maybe some disinformation or misinformation out there about either place etc.

The Guvnor · 04-04-2012 08:57AM

The Davestator wrote: »

I have a lot of info about this but as per OP, I can't say much. Suffice to say that this is not the first time this owner has closed a club and left people high and dry.

As for SFX - it's a great club, it's moved to a bigger premises and now offer classes. I've no affiliation to it.

SFX was in the old Boyne Squash club or something? How much bigger is it now?

cannotremember · 04-04-2012 09:20AM

Why are gyms going under, is the membership fee not enough to keep them going? Matrix seemed to have a good number of members, was that not enough, was it not possible to sell the business on?

The Davestator · 04-04-2012 09:28AM

The Guvnor wrote: »

SFX was in the old Boyne Squash club or something? How much bigger is it now?

It used to be in beside esso, just up from maxol at the t junction beside the church - don't know the names of the roads!

The new one is a lot bigger and as far as I know, with room to expand if they need it.

The Davestator · 04-04-2012 09:32AM

cannotremember wrote: »

Why are gyms going under, is the membership fee not enough to keep them going? Matrix seemed to have a good number of members, was that not enough, was it not possible to sell the business on?

Insurance is very high, rates are too high, utilities too expensive, gym kit expensive, marketing costs can be high and membership is too cheap.

It's simply not realistic to sell membership cheaply unless you're Ben Dunne and have over 8k members and can afford to take the losses whilst building the business to that level.

Rag riding Matrix - he's been running from debts for years and they've caught up with him.

Hanley · 04-04-2012 12:23PM

The Davestator wrote: »

Insurance is very high, rates are too high, utilities too expensive, gym kit expensive, marketing costs can be high and membership is too cheap.

It's simply not realistic to sell membership cheaply unless you're Ben Dunne and have over 8k members and can afford to take the losses whilst building the business to that level.

Rag riding Matrix - he's been running from debts for years and they've caught up with him.

Ben Dunne has quite literally destroyed the gym industry and peopels perception of value.

The Guvnor · 04-04-2012 12:31PM

^ Agree H.

Price is not the only factor.

A gym can only sustain a certain number of members - who wants to wait ages for a machine etc.

Only been in a Bens once but from what I hear they can be chock full at peak times.

Gummy Panda · 04-04-2012 12:45PM

The Guvnor wrote: »

^ Agree H.

Price is not the only factor.

A gym can only sustain a certain number of members - who wants to wait ages for a machine etc.

Only been in a Bens once but from what I hear they can be chock full at peak times.

They're crazy busy at peak. Price not being a barrier to entry means you get a lot more knobheads.

Zamboni · 04-04-2012 01:09PM

Hanley wrote: »

Ben Dunne has quite literally destroyed the gym industry and peopels perception of value.

I understand your view from a fitness industry perspective but I would have thought your inner accountant would have accepted that he has what appears to be a better business model than the competition in the areas he has set up?

The Davestator · 04-04-2012 01:21PM

Zamboni wrote: »

I understand your view from a fitness industry perspective but I would have thought your inner accountant would have accepted that he has what appears to be a better business model than the competition in the areas he has set up?

I wouldnt agree with that. The big losers in this recession have been the mid price health clubs - total fitness, jackie skellys' etc etc. The upper and lower end of the market have remained buoyant - Ben Dunne at one end servicing one market and David Llyod & West Wood servicing the other end.

Ben Dunne actually makes a loss in a number of his clubs but the likes of Carlisle & Westpoint make up the numbers for him.

Lantus · 04-04-2012 01:34PM

health & fitness suffers during booms because we are all too busy working and living the so called good life. When a down turn hits we can't afford gyms or equipment.

I believe that from discussions with staff matrix had around 500 members and the advertised rate was about 250 per year. That equates to 125k turnover annually very roughly. sounds like a lot but when you factor all the costs like wages, esb, hot water, rent, insurance and all the other things a business needs to function it's not a huge amount really.

A gym that size could of easily accomodated 4 times as many members wthout feeling overly full I would estimate.

It could just be that the market was too crowded for the deamand.

Hanley · 04-04-2012 02:08PM

Zamboni wrote: »

I understand your view from a fitness industry perspective but I would have thought your inner accountant would have accepted that he has what appears to be a better business model than the competition in the areas he has set up?

Disagree.

The business model only works if you've the finanical backing to sustain losses. Which means he's not really competitive, just capable of surviving until reaching critical mass.

The mid price gyms have been driven out of the market as a result and there's a lot of people who can't afford the higher end who are now left in substandard facilities. Does open a gap in the market for more specialised boxes tho, which I like.

Transform · 04-04-2012 04:23PM

IMO it has less to do with price and all to do with value.

Gyms that have closed had operated on a system which was based around selling the impression of 'fitness and health' yet delivered a bunch of trainers/staff talking to each other, cute women and bodybuilders.

They never maintained education and 99% of gyms had no head trainer calling the shots and holding meetings every week to discuss programming, nutrition, further education for staff.

So what you were left with was a total lack of care and attention to the members that really needed the help as opposed to the guys and gals that would live in the place 24/7 even if you didn't talk to them. Yes there were some trainers that were good or are good in these commercial gyms but in general they have to be spoon fed clients to survive becaue they are so dam lazy.

To be honest the decline in gyms is no different than any of the industries out there right now in tough times - those that offer better value and outstanding service will survive and if your members are not raving fans of what you do then you are screwed because right now there are people out there building those kind of businesses and taking your clients.

louth00 · 05-04-2012 12:33PM

Zamboni wrote: »

My inner Data Protection Commissioner wonders how SFX got the membership information from Matrix Gym...

the notice on the Matrix gym door advises folks to call the SFX gym. SFX doesnt have the membership list from Matrix. i went to SFX gym today and they gave me membership for 1 year for 125 euro. i went to two other gyms in drogheda and their yearly membership fees were very dear.

Lantus · 05-04-2012 09:36PM

louth00 wrote: »

the notice on the Matrix gym door advises folks to call the SFX gym. SFX doesnt have the membership list from Matrix. i went to SFX gym today and they gave me membership for 1 year for 125 euro. i went to two other gyms in drogheda and their yearly membership fees were very dear.

you can't argue with 125 for a year really.

Some great equipment in there I thought. Gave it a trial run today.

Sadfred · 06-04-2012 10:17AM

The Davestator wrote: »

Insurance is very high, rates are too high, utilities too expensive, gym kit expensive, marketing costs can be high and membership is too cheap.

It's simply not realistic to sell membership cheaply unless you're Ben Dunne and have over 8k members and can afford to take the losses whilst building the business to that level.

Rag riding Matrix - he's been running from debts for years and they've caught up with him.

So whats the message if it seems to good to be true!!!!!!!:eek:

Matrix Gym Drogheda, closed down

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