This report was carried out by ukactive, 4global and GGFit.
The pandemic shook to the core many businesses and independent fitness clubs were no exception. The Independent Fitness Clubs Study gathered data from gym operators to measure the impact of COVID-19 on the independent fitness sector.
Using data from 627 independent clubs, the report examined data from the second half of 2020 and compared it against the same period in 2019 to identify emerging trends and measure retention and recovery rates among gym members.
Member recovery was significantly better at independent clubs, both in terms of visit throughput and active member percentage.
Some of the key findings include:
- Independent clubs had higher attrition and joiner rates than the rest of the sector every month from July – December 2020.
- Smaller clubs (fewer members) had higher attrition rates, joiner rates, leads and average yield than larger clubs.
- Newer clubs (open less than a year) had higher attrition rates, joiner rates, leads and average yield than older clubs.
While more research is required to fully understand the impact of the lockdowns on the fitness sector in the UK, this is a promising starting point.
What’s really great news? The COVID-19 pandemic increased overall health awareness and the creation of new, smart digital fitness solutions.
The team at Membr is happy to contribute to the collaborative research and work towards helping clubs throughout the recovery period and beyond.
To discover more findings, read the full report.
