Since our last post about a potential takeover bid by Virgin Active for the David Lloyd chain, we decided to investigate how this move would be received by those working in the sector.
We asked for some input across our Linkedin, Facebook and Twitter pages and it’s fair to say we had a pretty mixed reaction.
Initially, there were a couple of prominent viewpoints which seemed to be raised quite regularly:
Firstly, that such a large monopoly in such a small sector wouldn’t be ideal as they would start to dictate pricing, and salaries.
Secondly, and more positively, that any deal of this size, would create substantial movement of staff across the sector, thus creating more job opportunities for all.
Thirdly, that the move would be positive for budget and mid market operators who feel they can compete with the service being delivered by the likes of VA.
We also spoke to employees of the parties concerned and again there were mixed feelings. Whilst most were excited about the new opportunities and investment the deal would bring, they were also concerned about the probably gulf in salaries and whether they would be kept on by their new owners.
We’ll keep you posted!