Dumping Equinox? Good. But Look Where You Leap
Equinox owner Stephen Ross isn’t the only fitness titan backing people and things you may not like.
Like so many movements and memes in this world of ours, it all happened fast. Seemingly minutes after The Washington Post revealed that Stephen Ross, the billionaire owner of fitness chains Equinox and SoulCycle, among other entities, was hosting a fundraiser for… you know... , calls for a boycott rang out, and headlines were generated across verticals.
Celebrities weighed in. Equinox trended on Twitter. Out magazine Editor Phillip Picardi called for a Fashion Week boycott of Hudson Yards, the monster development from Ross-owned Related Companies (Ross has pieces of many other businesses including David Chang’s Momofuku empire, Milk Bar, Bluestone Lane, and fast-casual chain &Pizza, and owns the Miami Dolphins).
As a brand, Equinox is built not only on an image of optimized bodies, but on a progressive, inclusive persona. The company is known for its annual Pride campaign, and for its provocative, coastal-elite-flavored ad campaigns depicting double breast feeding, and models with double mastectomies. So, needless to say, one can expect the Equinox base to have zero chill when it comes to funneling their money, no matter how indirectly, into certain stubby-fingered hands.
Equinox compounded the problem with a surprisingly clueless PR response in which it described Ross as a “passive investor.” Perhaps only “30-50 feral hogs” has been more roundly mocked as an excuse for the inexcusable.
The people who work out at Equinox tend to REALLY like Equinox, so it’s a striking testament to the importance of corporate values to consumers that so many saw the Ross news as a dealbreaker and canceled their memberships (or at least started talking, loudly, about canceling their memberships).
Where to go?
One option that springs to mind is Planet Fitness. With its democratic brand identity and “judgement-free” philosophy, Planet Fitness is, in many ways, the anti-Equinox. The gyms even have a tradition of serving pizza on Mondays. Pizza! (if you brought a pizza into an Equinox, you would likely be put into counseling). The company supports anti-bullying causes, and the Boys and Girls Scouts. It’s got an inclusive and democratic identity.
But, if you’re pulling out of Equinox over its associations with the GOP regime, you may want to keep looking. See below for some highlights of Planet Fitness’ political and social behavior.
Wherever you do your next spin class, or eat your next workout pizza, the Ross flap has crystallized something important, to all of us customers: it’s time to start paying attention, not just when there’s a scandal, but every time you click “purchase.” Corporations have massive power over our government and society. With the stakes higher than ever, each of us must exercise the power WE have—to decide what matters most to us, to look closely at who and what’s lurking behind the products we buy, and to shop accordingly.
Planet Fitness
Based in: Hampton, NH
Public (NYSE PLNT)
Ownership / leadership: Planet Fitness was started in New Hampshire, in 1992 by Michael and Marc Grondahl. Chris Rondeau, who joined the company working at the club’s front desk in 1993, rose through the ranks to become CEO in 2013. In the fall of 2013, TSG Consumer Partners LLC became an equity partner. TSG’s portfolio is vast and includes: Stumptown, HUDA Beauty, Pabst Blue Ribbon, Voss, Comet, Spic and Span, Famous Amos, and Vitamin Water.
Political contributions:
According to the Open Secrets database, CEO Rondeau has donated to GOP candidates including Donald Trump and Andy Sanborn, a Republican Senator from New Hampshire, who has been endorsed by the NRA and by the Gun Owners of America Political Victory Fund and who received a 100% rating from New Hampshire Right to Life (a Vote Smart rating that shows where an incumbent has stood on a series of votes in the past one or two years). Rondeau has also contributed to NH Republican governor Chris Sununu.
TSG CEO Charles Esserman has contributed to Republican candidates including Mitt Romney and to the Republican National Committee.
Diversity / Women
Of eight executives listed on the company’s leadership page, 7 are male. Of six board members listed, two are women.
In 2018, a former Planet Fitness manager filed a sexual harassment complaint alleging a “debaucherous” corporate culture. The company’s response: “At Planet Fitness, we have a zero tolerance policy related to harassment of any kind, and are committed to providing a safe environment for all employees…We vehemently dispute the other baseless allegations outlined in the complaint and we intend to vigorously defend ourselves against them.”
Social activism
Planet Fitness has been an active supporter of the Boys and Girls Scouts of America, and teamed with the organization to launch the national philanthropic initiative, The Judgement Free Generation. In 2016, the company donated more than $1 million to the program. It’s also been active in the anti-bullying cause. The chain has partnered with PACER’s National Bullying Prevention Center, the nation’s leading nonprofit organization in this space, on initiatives including the “Bullying Prevention 101,” an educational resource “designed to equip teachers, counselors and other educators with tools to empower students to prevent bullying and stand up for kindness.”
The "Judgement Free Zone" policy extends to PF’s locker rooms. In the past, LGBT advocates have applauded the chain for its policy vis a vis transgender members using those locker rooms: "Planet Fitness is committed to creating a non intimidating, welcoming environment for our members. Our gender identity nondiscrimination policy states that members and guests may use all gym facilities based on their sincere self-reported gender identity” ( the company has been involved in a lawsuit brought by an irate member over the locker room issue).
