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ukactive update The year ahead


Will 2015 prove to be a turning point for the fitness and physical activity sector? David Stalker, CEO of ukactive, offers his thoughts


E


very year the request from the HCM editor lands on my desk, calling on me to dust off the crystal ball and lend my thoughts on the year ahead. As regular as the seasons, it’s


confirmation that another great year is coming to an end, and once more we can look ahead with optimism to the future of the sector.


Sector overview So what do I think the future holds? The founding brands of the sector – those major private institutions on which the industry


grew in the 1990s – will either have to rediscover a purpose as we have seen with Fitness First, or else drift off into irrelevance. Meanwhile the proliferation of specialists will continue to explode,


with yoga hotting up on even more high streets, enterprising PTs going wherever they are needed, and indoor cycling studios charging fees previously only dreamt of by mainstream operators. This brings a highly personalised service that’s hard to match. The entry to the market of Mike Ashley’s


Sports Direct and the continued success of low-cost operators will keep the heat on any organisation unsure of its purpose and the value it gives customers. Nonetheless, the UK’s low-cost operators will reach a crucial point, where the pressure of


continuous growth will be joined by the imperative to retain or implode. The public sector – spurred on by


effi ciency drives, enhanced service levels and greater competition – will thrive and drive growth. We will continue to see the growth of the major trusts and management contractors as more local authorities look to the fi nancial comfort and stability that their economies of scale bring. Expect that to mean bad – or at least challenging – news for smaller trusts, who will fi nd it hard to retain their contracts in a straight-out bidding war, with some opting for a peaceful life by entering into alliances with one of the big boys to ward off their threat. 2015 will also be the year that wearable technology gets a fuel injection, with the release of the Apple Watch heralding the start of the next evolution in the fi tness tracking market. Who remembers what


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


Club operators must realise they are part of a wider ecosystem where it’s all about getting active generally, not just in the gym January 2015 ©


Cybertrek 2015


PHOTO: SHUTTERSTOCK.COM / ANDREW BASSETT


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