How PureGym uses TravelPerk to manage business travel easily and efficiently

PureGym brings their affordable workouts worldwide

Founded in Leeds in 2009, PureGym has quickly grown into the UK’s largest gym chain and is now expanding well beyond its borders. Their secret? No-frills, accessible gyms that offer flexibility, with no monthly contracts, 24/7 access, and digital fitness classes.

PureGym’s friendly, welcoming ethos and affordable prices have won them over 1.6 million members. Their revenue increased by 15 percent in 2023, and they aim to open 200 new sites in the UK and Switzerland over the next three to four years. They’re also looking to scale up further in geographies like Denmark and the US.

Over the last four years, Jamie Brough, PureGym’s Group Procurement Director, watched his team grow from a team of one to a team of 12. In the midst of such rapid international growth, he knew the company was in need of a streamlined solution for booking business travel—something that surpassed the systems they’d previously used.

From his previous business experience, Jamie knew of a user-friendly travel management platform that could help PureGym increase policy compliance and cut down on costs: TravelPerk.

Centralized travel booking, all in one place

When choosing a booking tool, PureGym wanted something employees could use to flexibly book and manage their travel anywhere—even at home, on the move, or outside of working hours.

TravelPerk provided the solution: An all-in-one travel booking platform that offers visibility and control for managers, while leaving travelers the freedom to book and manage their own trips.

When travel booking is easy, everyone gets onboard

During onboarding, TravelPerk provided clear and helpful training and support. And since TravelPerk offers an intuitive user interface, new PureGym employees generally understood how to use the platform right away.

This has led to a 99% compliance rate for TravelPerk use at PureGym: the highest Jamie has seen at any business he has worked with.

“The system is easy to use, it’s not a deterrent for people… the fact that they don’t have to pay for it and that it’s all billed back is helpful, and the tickets and the bookings are in the app as well. It’s easy for them, which ensures that we get full compliance.”

Jamie Brough- Group Procurement Director at PureGym

Billback means travelers no longer have to pay out of pocket

It can be unideal for travelers to have to pay for company trips out of their own personal funds and then wait for reimbursement. With TravelPerk, this process is circumvented. Hotels bill TravelPerk, who then invoice the organization directly.

There are several advantages to using billback: it’s easier for employees, simplifies expense management, and ensures policy compliance. Overall, it streamlines the process for both travelers and their employer.

“We’re a fast-paced business with multiple locations, we’ve got 500 gyms in the UK. So the ability for our teams to travel around seamlessly without being slowed down is what we need.”

Jamie Brough- Group Procurement Director at PureGym

Duty of care features ensure trips run smoothly

If delays or unexpected circumstances happen, companies need to know where travelers are to ensure their safety. TravelPerk provides traveler tracking, so employers have full visibility over business trips. For PureGym, this is an important functionality that allows them to meet their duty of care obligations.

“One of the reasons why we use a booking agency is to know where our employees are, that’s really important for us… and the alerts we get if there’s an international disaster are really helpful, because they tell us that none of our employees are within that area.”

Jamie Brough- Group Procurement Director at PureGym

Increased travel policy compliance means more cost savings

With TravelPerk’s automated travel approval process, PureGym managers don’t need to worry about policy compliance, since everything can be easily monitored through the platform.

Employees can book travel autonomously, and are also encouraged to look for cost-effective options. Managers receive an approval email, where they can simply click “approve” or “decline”: a quick and simple process.

“Each of the teams will monitor their travel expense budget on a quarterly basis, so they can flag if there’s too much travel taking place.”

Jamie Brough- Group Procurement Director at PureGym

After successfully implementing TravelPerk in their UK offices, PureGym is now planning to roll it out to their other markets, such as the US and Denmark. This will allow them to benefit from the visibility, ease of use, and control offered by TravelPerk across their entire business.