5 REASONS ALAIN BEAUDRY CONTINUES TO BE A FITNESS LEADER IN QUEBEC!

Éconofitness, which is celebrating its 5^th anniversary this month, is headed by Alain Beaudry, a pioneer in Quebec’s fitness industry for over 30 years.

Beaudry, who opened his first gym in a Saint-Jérôme racquetball club, has been pushing boundaries since 1985 and has been the instigator of several major developments in Quebec’s fitness sector.

Read on to find out what lead Beaudry to become the head of Quebec’s largest gym network.

🖊PROVIDING HIGH-QUALITY GYMS FOR “REGULAR PEOPLE”

It is never surprising to run into the president of Éconofitness in one of Éconofitness’s gyms. He enjoys working out at Éconofitness and chatting with members and staff. It is perfectly natural that Beaudry, who describes himself as “just a regular guy,” has devoted nearly 33 years to operating gyms for people just like him. In the 1980s, this type of establishment simply did not exist. It was Beaudry who made gyms accessible to Quebeckers. Since day one, he has wanted members to feel at home when they enter the gym and, above all, to enjoy working out in a judgement-free atmosphere.

🖊MAKING FITNESS ACCESSIBLE TO AS MANY PEOPLE AS POSSIBLE

La One of Alain Beaudry’s firm beliefs is that fitness should be accessible to everyone. Five years ago, the first Éconofitness gym opened in Montréal with the goal of providing a wide array of high-quality equipment to as many people as possible. Today, in 2018, 61 gyms—comprising a total of 800,000 square feet of space—are available to the people of Quebec. The self-service concept at Éconofitness, which offers annual memberships for as low as $4.99 (plus taxes) biweekly, allows more than 250,000 people to work out in a warm and friendly environment. No more letting shyness or budget constraints hold you back!

🖊ADAPTING TO QUEBEC’S EVOLVING FITNESS INDUSTRY

A few years ago, as Quebec’s fitness industry was going through a transition period, Alain Beaudry decided to roll with the punches. New approaches to fitness centres had begun to appear elsewhere in the world, so Beaudry set off to investigate what was happening in the United States, Europe and South America. He quickly realized that he would have to revise his business model and implement an updated concept that would make gyms more affordable, which would in turn lead to a significant increase in volume. He would also have to tailor the new concept to Quebec’s local market. That’s how Éconofitness gyms came to exist: low-cost, self-service gyms created by Quebeckers for Quebeckers!
 

🖊HAVING A STRONG WEB PRESENCE AND IMPLEMENTING NEW TECHNOLOGY IN THE GYMS
Technological developments are taking place everywhere, and the fitness world is no exception. To ensure his gyms are equipped with digital and virtual tools that are easy for members to use, Beaudry surrounds himself with people who are passionate about new technologies. At Éconofitness, a broad range of virtual group classes and VELOCYCLE classes are made available to members each week. And if a member needs help understanding how the 30-Minute Express Circuit works? An interactive kiosk, located in the gym, will provide all the guidance they need. What if another member wishes to do a quick workout at home? Éconofitness has made several of its workout videos available on its YouTube channel (and they’re free!). In the coming months, a number of new options employing technological tools will be implemented in Éconofitness gyms.

🖊SURROUNDING HIMSELF WITH A STRONG TEAM OF MANAGERS AND STAFF

Éconofitness president Alain Beaudry is a loyal business partner. Since the founding of Éconofitness in 2013, he has continued to work with his two esteemed partners and allies, Judith Fleurant and Caroline Pitre—both vice-presidents at Éconofitness—with whom he managed another major chain of Quebec gyms for several years.

For the past few years, Beaudry has also had the pleasure of passing on his knowledge to his son, Renaud Beaudry, another vice-president of Éconofitness. Renaud has been working in the fitness field for over 15 years and shares his father’s passion for it.

In addition to the executive team, more than forty employees, all of whom are committed to Éconofitness’s mission, work at the head office in Blainville, in the Laurentians. And let’s not forget the 700 on-site staff who provide members with a warm welcome and ensure the facilities are kept impeccably clean.


This visionary businessman is far from finished developing Éconofitness. Several new locations are currently being built and Beaudry hopes to have 100 Éconofitness gyms in operation by the end of 2020. His goal is to provide more than 450,000 members with the opportunity to take care of their health through the Éconofitness network, which is by far the largest in Quebec and is the third largest in Canada.