interview
The 20m indoor pool at the new Leyland club has funky lighting to create a more exciting environment for members
feels like a nightclub when the neon We offer free sessions in the gym which Membership prices are based on the
lights are switched on. members can book on to, and we use club’s local market and are increased, not
“Exercising can be pretty boring, these to try and educate members on discounted, as time goes on from a club
having to do the same thing in the various topics such as weight loss and opening, encouraging potential members
same environment. When we phone core training. Hopefully, with a more to join immediately. The Leyland club
lapsed members to fi nd out why they educated membership, we’ll also see currently offers memberships ranging
left, almost always we fi nd that it isn’t better retention.” from £37 to £50 a month.
that they went to another club or that “We’re also trying to introduce some
we did something wrong; they say
driving profits
family options, as the more people in
they don’t have the time. This means With Leyland FX Leisure already halfway a family who use the club, the more
they’re bored; it was important enough towards its 4,500-member capacity, has support there is to keep up your
for them to join in the fi rst place and the company been affected at all by the membership,” says Taylor.
somehow they haven’t achieved what recession? “Profitability no, Most FX Leisure clubs offer dedicated
they wanted to in the club and have memberships yes. Every month [since kids’ swimming, school PE classes and
drifted off into something else. Christmas], a few less join and a few exercise sessions such as kids’ yoga,
“One way we can help them stay is to more cancel, which makes a difference. group cycling and street dancing, and the
keep it more exciting. The more you Across the portfolio, we’re close to a 10 company is aiming to expand this offer.
can do to make it stimulating, keep it per cent decrease in membership Although Taylor believes the
different, the more members you’ll be compared to this time last year. industry has a challenge ahead with
likely to retain. We’ve tried to zone “We’ve managed to stem it fi nancially the emergence of increasingly value-
things off to give people an opportunity by putting our prices up, so yield per driven clientele, he doesn’t agree with
to train in a different environment, with member has increased and like-for-like discounting: “There’s no point having
the idea of encouraging them to stay sales are identical. a price that’s good value for a product
longer. They won’t necessarily use all the “We also introduced a few fl exible and then halving it for just one month.
facilities in one session, but they will do membership packages in January, You may sell a lot of memberships that
something different every time they come. including two-year, one-year and month but, if you can’t sustain it, then
“I’m also a massive believer in contract-free packages. By giving people it’s going to kill the whole industry.”
education and think the general the choice of membership contracts, So what plans does FX Leisure have
population would use clubs if they some are choosing a more expensive to expand? “We have two clubs in the
were taught about healthy living and option as it comes with less of a pipeline, in Leeds and Manchester, but
why it’s important. Educating people contract, which increases our yield.” they’re 18 months from opening, so it’s
is the only way to signifi cantly drive up FX Leisure has also done away with diffi cult to think too far into the future.
participation in any form of exercise. joining fees, which normally cost £100. “It’s not a great desire for us as a family
business to roll out 100 clubs, or even
20 clubs, over the next few years. We’re
Taylor gets involved in the very profi table for a family company,
interior design of the clubs with an annual turnover of £6.5m/£3.2m
to keep costs down EBITDA. One reason we’re so healthy,
even though we’re in a recession, is
because we’ve been conservative.
“We’ve watched some of the bigger
players expand aggressively over the last
decade, and wondered if we should be
doing the same, but now a few of them
are in trouble. Our style of club could be
built all over the world, but we’re going
to grow steadily to 10 clubs over the
next three years and then review things.”
caroline wilkinson
healthclub@leisuremedia.com
32 Read Health Club Management online august 2009 © cybertrek 2009
healthclubmanagement.co.uk/digital
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