Eleeza to take over Alexander exercise clubs

Eleeza International Inc (宜麗國際) is expected to take over operation of debt-ridden Alexander Group's (亞力山大集團) fitness facilities by the end of this month, a company executive said.

Eleeza International has established a new company, Yajiankang (亞健康), whose English name has yet to be finalized.

The company will scrap the yearly membership system in favor of a monthly fee, Eleeza International president Liang Mu-chun (梁木春) said on Friday.

Alexander membership cards will become invalid after the takeover, but the new company will offer discounts to those who were members before the change, Liang said.

Lee Chung-teh (李宗德) of Lee, Tsai and Partners, which is representing the new company, said that existing Alexander members would be offered discounted monthly fees, but declined to provide further details.

New members will be charged a monthly fee of NT$3,000 (US$96.93), Lee said by telephone yesterday.

The new company hopes to recruit half of its members from Alexander's customer base.

Operating costs should be around NT$30 million per month, Lilyan Wang (王鳳鳴), manager of the operating and marketing department, said by phone yesterday.

Eleeza International signed an agreement with the Alexander Group on Jan. 15 to buy eight outlets: seven Alexander Health Clubs and one Jun Spa (君Spa).

Leases for five of the health club outlets have been signed and the company has reached initial agreements with landlords for the other two locations, Wang said.

Wang rejected media speculation that Kelti International (克緹國際) chairman Chen Wu-kang (陳武剛) had invested in the new company.

Taipei-based Eleeza International is a distributor of foreign cosmetics brands, such as Borghese of Italy.

On Dec. 10 last year, Alexander Group chairwoman Candy Tang (唐雅君) shut down all 20 of the chain's outlets without notifying members or employees.

The health clubs had 2,000 employees and a membership of between 70,000 and 80,000 people.