INDEPENDENTS & CHAINS
OPERATOR PERSPECTIVE
PRIVATE SECTOR
INDEPENDENTS
Clubs
Members
Market value
Average fee
2,171 1.42 m £796 m £41.94
■ Membership fee is 11% below UK average ■ 43 gym stations on average ■ 18% of clubs have a swimming pool
■ Represent 48% of clubs ■ Represent 19% of members ■ Represent 18% of market value
ANDY THOMPSON
Anytime Fitness has made a flying start to 2024, but in the world of franchising, it’s better when the whole environment is strong, says its UK chair
MULTI-CLUB OPERATORS
Clubs
Members
Market value
Average fee
2,342 5.92 m £3.7 bn £52.15
What’s the news from Anytime Fitness UK? The first few months of 2024 have been the best start to a year we’ve had in some time. Whether we look at member numbers, visit numbers or system-wide sales – that is, turnover across all our clubs – we’re at an all-time high. We’re also seeing strong interest from people looking to invest in fitness franchising, and Anytime Fitness specifically, so we’re on-track to sell the 25 franchise licences we’ve targeted for 2024. With 185 clubs trading at the end of March (178 in the UK, five in Ireland and one each in Jersey and Guernsey) and 200,000 members, we hit over 1 million visits a month for January, February and March. The trajectory looks exciting!
That is in part down to our new club design, with sites that have opened over the last couple of years delivering a stronger performance than our older clubs. The new model puts functional training at the heart of things, creating a friendly, active feel as soon as you walk into the club. This appeals to our demographic which – although we attract a broad age range – is typically people in their 20s through to around 45 years old, with an equal gender split. We’re in the middle of doing some detailed research now to provide more meaningful insight into our customers. And so we’re in the process of transitioning all clubs to this new model. Our franchise agreements are for five years; if franchisees want to renew, they must commit to bringing their clubs up to current standards.
■ Membership fee is 10% above UK average ■ 76 gym stations on average ■ 38% of clubs have a swimming pool
■ Represent 52% of clubs ■ Represent 81% of members ■ Represent 82% of market value
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STATE OF THE UK FITNESS INDUSTRY REPORT 2024
STATE OF THE UK FITNESS INDUSTRY REPORT 2024
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