In the first quarter of 2023 the Benefit Systems Group’s sales revenue amounted to PLN 625.3 million and the operating profit was PLN 65.7 million. At the end of March this year, sports cards were used by over 1,309,000 people in Poland and 462,000 in foreign markets. According to the Group’s estimates, in April and May the number of sports cards will increase by another 35,000, including 25,000 in Poland and 10,000 in other markets. At the end of May, the number of passes in the Group’s own networks (including recent acquisitions) will reach almost 210,000. The company maintains its expectations regarding further improvement in operating profitability and an increase in the number of cards by 280,000–300,000 in 2023.
– We had very successful first three months and the second quarter is looking even better. The dynamic growth of profits reflects positive trends in all key areas of our business – says Bartosz Józefiak, Management Board Member at Benefit Systems, and adds: – In the first quarter of this year we had a relatively high user activity in Poland which confirms our belief that physical activity is very important for Poles. In April and May, the number of sports cards will increase by a total of 35,000, which translates into almost 190,000 cards since the beginning of the year. Thanks to the effects of operating leverage, but also growing average revenue per user in all markets we expect further and abrupt improvement in operating profitability throughout the year. The strong results in the first quarter additionally support these expectations.
– The beginning of the year in our fitness networks was very good in terms of sales. The pass base increased by 19% compared to the first quarter of last year. At the same time, we were the first on the market to successfully increase the pass prices. We were also very active in the development of the network. In January we opened two clubs in Krakow. In February we acquired 16 Calypso Fitness clubs and in April – six Saturn Fitness clubs. We currently have 191 facilities where nearly 210,000 pass holders train – explains Bartosz Józefiak. – Our own clubs meet the needs of customers, and the combination of a great product offer, convenient location, quality of the clubs and competent staff has a significant impact on the purchasing decisions of new customers. Together with effective cost management, this resulted in the best operating result in history. This is a very good prognosis for the whole of 2023 and beyond.
– Since the end of the pandemic, our foreign markets have confirmed their result potential. In 2022, the Foreign Countries Segment reported PLN 25 million in operating profit, and in the first quarter of this year – the most demanding season-wise – EBIT exceeded PLN 16 million and already accounted for about a quarter of the Group’s result – adds Bartosz Józefiak.
Additional information:
Benefit Systems has been operating on the Polish market for over two decades and is one of the leaders in providing non-financial benefits that support the wellbeing of employees. The company is the creator of the MultiSport Programme, which allows its users to take up physical activity in sports facilities all over the country. The Benefit Systems portfolio also includes the MyBenefit cafeteria platform and the MultiLife wellbeing programme. For several years now, the company’s sports offer has been developed on foreign markets, including in the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Bulgaria, and Croatia. The Benefit Systems Group also operates over 200 fitness clubs in four markets (in Poland it is responsible for the Zdrofit, Fitness Academy, My Fitness Place, Fabryka Formy, StepONE, S4 Fitness, Total Fitness, FitFabric and Saturn Fitness networks). An important area of Benefit Systems activities is promoting an active lifestyle at every stage of life, which is why the company implements initiatives supporting the physical activity of children, adults, and seniors. Since 2018, Benefit Systems has been part of the global B Corp initiative bringing together companies involved in solving the most important social problems. More information about the company can be found at www.benefitsystems.pl/en/.