Cripps advises French group Manutan on acquisition of Fitness Warehouse and Gym Gear Rentals

Cripps has advised French group Manutan on the successful acquisition, by its UK subsidiary Findel Education Limited, of Fitness Warehouse Limited, trading as ‘Gym Gear‘. This brings an established commercial fitness equipment business into the Manutan Group. 

The transaction involved several complex legal, regulatory and operational workstreams, with the parties working closely on the project for more than a year, successfully completing at the end of October 2026.  

Cripps provided multidisciplinary support across corporate, tax, employment, property, banking and regulatory matters. The team worked closely with Manutan and Findel, alongside PwC’s transaction services team in France and tax team in the UK and NGM Tax, to coordinate the various workstreams. 

Chris Mahady, CEO of Findel, said: “This was a long journey and a real team effort, and we are delighted to have completed the acquisition of Gym Gear, a fantastic addition to the Findel and Manutan family of brands. Alex Bishop, Sonia Dib and the wider Cripps team provided incredible support throughout, combining perseverance and commitment with a real focus on getting the transaction over the line. We are hugely grateful for their support and look forward to working together again.” 

Alexander Bishop, lead lawyer on the transaction, said: “We are delighted to have supported Manutan and Findel on this important acquisition. It was a demanding transaction, involving a number of legal and operational complexities. Successful completion required close coordination between the client, advisers and wider transaction team, and it was particularly rewarding to help bring the deal to a successful conclusion after such a long journey.” 

Olivier Morel, Cripps’ Manutan client partner, concluded: “Gym Gear is an exciting addition to the Manutan group, and we wish the Manutan and Findel teams every success with the next stage of the business’s development. This is another key transaction for our longstanding French client Manutan; it underscores our ability to deliver multidisciplinary cross-border deals.” 

The Cripps team was led by Alexander Bishop and included Emma Brittain, Sonia Dib, Anna Drapper, Summer Gibb and Kathryn Rogers. PwC and NGM Tax also advised on the transaction.