next phase of public leisure must combine operational efficiency with a renewed focus on inclusivity, ensuring no community or demographic is left behind. Any positives to hold on to? For me, one of the greatest opportunities – not only for our business, but for the industry as a whole – are GLP-1s. Some believe these weight-loss drugs will reduce demand for gyms. We believe the opposite is true. Yes, 80 per cent of Everyone Active members come to us to lose weight or change their body shape, so I do understand concerns about what happens when people use GLP-1s to lose weight instead. However, many of those on GLP-1s would never previously have set foot in a gym, either because they felt uncomfortable or physically unable to “The next phase of public leisure must combine operational efficiency with a renewed focus on inclusivity”
You’re effectively going to see the number of local authorities halve, which has huge consequences for procurement. Contracts that might previously have been worth £3–5m could suddenly become £20m-plus. For larger operators like us, that creates opportunity. But for smaller operators, it introduces significant risk; those contracts may simply be too large for them to bid for. We’ve already seen good operators such as Fusion Lifestyle and Active Nation go into administration – a huge shame not only for them, but for the sector as a whole – and sadly I think we’ll see more. I believe the environment will only get tougher, particularly when you layer on other pressures such as rising utility costs, hikes in national insurance and wages at an all-time high. Ultimately, the whole sector is being squeezed – and with little scope in the current economic climate to pass on additional costs to members, even larger operators such as ourselves are having to cut our cloth accordingly. For smaller players, it may all prove too much. I expect to see more consolidation. As one of the UK’s largest operators, we are well placed to navigate and support this transition. However, our priority is not simply growth but ensuring scale does not come at the expense of accessibility. We believe the
93
STATE OF THE UK FITNESS INDUSTRY REPORT 2026
Made with FlippingBook - Share PDF online