An unfortunate circumstance has come upon W3 that we feel needs to be brought to the attention of all and addressed before any negative opinions or thoughts are formed. We have recently made the decision to close the Prospect Heights Womenโs Workout & Wellness location. Please understand that this is not a decision we wanted to make, but we were truly left with no choice. We did everything we could to keep the club running, but in the end, our efforts that we put into all of our clubs just did not hold strongly to this location.
The area of the Prospect Heights location has changed throughout the years, leaving the market a lot different now than it was when we first built clubs in this area. The downturn of the economy has affected all of us as consumers and as businesses. The economy has not fared well with the landlordโs ability to fill the many vacant spots in this shopping center. Also, if you drive north on Rand Rd., you will see similar situations in many of the shopping centers. All of the vacancy in our shopping center has negatively affected our walk-in traffic. Due to the inability to renegotiate a fair lease in favor of both W3 and the landlord, we were left with no choice but to close this location now that the lease is up.
We know the extreme inconvenience it is when your routine health club is closed. We know that we have very committed members at this location, and we are sincerely sorry that their W3 experience has to end. We tried the same tactics, special sales and programs at this location that we did at other locations. They worked at the others, but for some reason, they just did not take to the demographics of Prospect Heights. We hope the members are able to transfer to another location, but if not, we wish them the best in their future fitness endeavors.
We also want to thank Megan and her staff. Megan did an amazing job at this location. We have fought for two years to try to keep the club running successfully, and Megan has made a positive difference in every aspect. She has built a staff that is very hardworking and loved by the members. We want them, too, to transfer to another location to continue working if the travel is possible for them.
We want to make clear that in no way is the closing of this location a reflection of any other W3 location. It is simply the fact that our marketing and sales efforts that have worked in all other clubs just did not work here, and we believe this is due to the many factors stated above. W3 is planning on expanding throughout the Chicagoland area and is in the process of remodeling various locations.
We regret to inform all viewers of this unwanted circumstance, and we are sorry this is happening. Thank you to our members, all employees, and the manager for making the club atmosphere so positive.
