| News & Know How | News Magazines Honor Founders of Curves and Stroller Strides N


ewsweek magazine recently honored 10 “Successful people who had early setbacks.” Among


them were such captains of industry as Walt Disney, Thomas Edison, Henry Ford, and the fitness industry’s own Gary Heavin, the cofounder of Curves International, Inc., the world’s largest fitness club franchise. According to the article, “Heavin’s first


attempt at building a women’s fitness empire didn’t end well.” (It ended in bankruptcy.) He and Diane, his wife and partner, went back to the drawing


| CBI’s Eye On The Economy | Club Operators Employed Conservative Fall Pricing


In October and November, club fees continued to trend much as they had during the same two-month period in recent years. Operators again lowered the price for membership dues, and once more increased the price of nondues products and services, although modestly. Club dues fell by 2.94% in October and 1.98% in November.


That contrasts with cuts of 0.55% in October and 1.68% in November of 2009. Similarly, the cost of nondues items continued to climb, but


the increases were smaller than in previous years. They rose by a nominal 0.25% in October and 1.04% in November.


-5 -4 -3 -2 -1 0 1 2 3 4 5


In spite of an increase in fees for all items in the general


economy, as well as some other signs of business improvement, club operators seem to be employing conservative judgment with respect to dues and nondues pricing. All items increased by 1.26% in October and 1.20% in November. Operators’ prudence may also have been prompted by the


challenges of competing for consumer dollars during the holidays and identifying the right price points for the first months of the new year, historically a period of heavy demand for club services. —|


For more detailed monthly information and additional Producer Price Indexes, please log on to www.ihrsa.org/research.


Consumer Prices & National Economic Trends (% change same month previous year)


board and, in 1992, launched a new business model featuring 30-minute workouts and low overhead costs. Since then, Curves has grown to more than 10,000 locations worldwide. At about the same time that News-


week hit the streets, SelfMadeMagazine. com named Diane Heaven one of the “50 Women Entrepreneurs Who Inspire Us.” The publication also singled out Lisa Druxman, the founder of Stroller Strides, another fitness franchise, which has more than 300 locations nationwide. —|


Gary and Diane Heavin


10/08 11/08 12/08 1/09


2/09 3/09 4/09 5/09 6/09 7/09 8/09 9/09 10/09 11/09 12/09 1/10 2/10 3/10 4/10 5/10 6/10 7/10


8/10 9/10 10/10 11/10


Club Dues (NSA*) Fees for Lessons (NSA) All Items (NSA)


Note: NSA: Not Seasonally Adjusted www. ihrsa.org | FEBRUARY 2011 | Club Business Internat ional 25


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