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The mid-market continues to be hit by members trading down to cheaper offerings from operators such as Pure Gym (above)


spending, reduced joining fee income and the growth of more affordable budget clubs. By the end of 2012, total UK market value was expected to be around £2,650m, with an average revenue per member of £498. Regionally, the impact of unemployment


and government austerity measures seems to have been most marked in the north of England, with the result that this part of the country has proved a fertile breeding ground for the budget health clubs sector.


Flexibility please Mintel’s research has found that flexibility is the key to making health club memberships attractive to consumers. Many people have been deterred by long-term contracts and onerous terms and conditions; indeed, there continue to be a number of horror


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stories in the news which serve only to reinforce this impression. But increasingly, operators have


introduced more flexible membership packages: ‘easy-in, easy-out’, no-contract options (for more money a month) or shorter-term memberships. This, according to Mintel’s research, is the way to go. Customisation is a key consumer


trend at present, with the ‘one size fits all’ philosophy increasingly irrelevant in today’s society. In our research, the strongest demand was found to be for a customisable membership where you only pay for the facilities you want to use, picking from a menu of options. As well as a fully customisable


membership, there is also some interest in a flexible membership package consisting of


access to the fitness equipment, with a pay- as-you-use scheme for all other facilities. Clearly, implementation could present


some logistical challenges, but with access to new technology – such as the RFID wristbands/tags that are increasingly used at music concerts and major events – it is not beyond consideration. Both of these options illustrate an


underlying demand among consumers for more control over what they pay for within the health and fitness club environment: almost half of all users (47 per cent) would like an element of flexibility and customisation in their membership package. Given the current difficult economic situation, with consumers’ finances under considerable pressure, people do not wish to pay for facilities they do not use,


Health Club Handbook 2013 29


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