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BUSINESS MODELS


SPECIALIST vs GENERALIST


What will be the future of the traditional full-service club in the face of the growing microgym market? Kate Cracknell reports


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ith their specialist, high- energy offerings that draw a loyal crowd, microgyms have, it seems, tapped


into the zeitgeist. According to the latest UK Monitor report – produced by global trend and research experts The Futures Company and published in December 2012 – gone are the days when people’s sense of identity was defined by their job, their location, their upbringing… Nowadays, 62 per cent of Brits believe it’s their personal passions that define who they are. And people are looking to inject


some of that passion into their everyday lives. The Futures Company’s work on Millennials, for example – people aged between 18 and 32 years, otherwise


known as Generation Y and still a core market for most fi tness operators – suggests that what this audience wants is daily stimulation. “For Generation Y, it’s not just


about adrenaline-fuelled experiences. Rather, they’re seeking more personal experiences that offer them some meaning, such as curating and sharing their own Pinterest page built around their individual interests,” says Amy Tomkins, associate director at The Futures Company. All of this is good news for the health


and fi tness sector – indeed, for the leisure sector as a whole – but only if it can create the sort of personalised experiences that today’s audience is seeking. In short, the sector must


Read Health Club Management online at healthclubmanagement.co.uk/digital


create something that’s able to inspire a defi ning passion in people. But how many health clubs can


really claim to achieve this? How many members are genuinely passionate about going to their gym?


Defining microgyms Step forward the microgyms, the growing number of specialist studios that aim to inspire precisely this sort of enthusiasm in their users by specialising in the activities people are most passionate about and delivering them with panache – allowing them to charge a premium for the privilege. We have of course seen standalone


pilates, vibration training and PT studios for years – so how does the microgym differ? What defi nes a microgym, and what’s its secret ingredient? “Microgyms or boutique gyms, as they are being called, are almost exclusively


October 2013 © Cybertrek 2013


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