 |
UK health club market hits record highs
06 Jun 2024
The UK health and fitness is performing well, especially the private sector, with member numbers, market value and penetration reaching all-time highs.
These are the key findings from Leisure DB, which launches its annual State of the UK Fitness Industry Report at the Evolve conference today (6 June), in London.
The report – which was previously only available for purchase – is available free of charge for the first time this year, since the company pivoted to sponsorship funding.
In the 12 months to the end of March 2024, Leisure DB says there was a slight rise in the number of gyms in its sample from 6,998 in 2023 to 7,009, a 0.2 per cent increase, although the number remains below the high of 7,239 in 2019.
The other key metrics are above both 2019 and 2023 levels. Across the UK, there's a penetration rate of 15.9 per cent when assessed against the entire population (up from 15.1 per cent the previous year), with 10.7 million people having a health club membership compared with 10.3 million in 2023.
Breaking down the 15.9 per cent penetration, the private sector has a double the penetration rate of the public sector with private delivering 10.9 per cent of the 15.9 per cent and the public attracting the remaining 5 per cent.
The market value is £5.9 billion, up from £5.4 billion the year before.
Leisure DB's market value number gives a year-on-year, like-for-like view of the sector and is calculated by multiplying the number of members with the rate for a single, peak membership. It does not account for discounting, off-peak rates and the impact of aggregators such as ClassPass and is not adjusted for inflation.
By number of gyms, PureGym is the largest UK private sector operator and GLL is the largest public operator. During the reporting period, three operators added 10 or more gyms to their estate: PureGym (34) Everyone Active (12) and JD Gyms (10).
Private sector
There are 4,513 private health clubs in the UK with 120 opening during the year and 129 closing as operators continue to reengineer their portfolios following the pandemic. Most of the closures were independent gyms – 45 of the new openings were low-cost.
Although there was a net decrease of nine clubs compared to the previous year, there's been a 5.1 per cent increase in membership to 7.33 million and a 10.9 per cent increase in market value to £4.48 billion. The penetration rate is the best yet, with 4.5 per cent of the UK population now members of a low-cost, private sector health club.
The top 10 private operators by number of clubs are: PureGym, The Gym Group, Anytime Fitness, Nuffield Fitness & Wellbeing, David Lloyd Clubs, Snap Fitness, JD Gyms, Bannatyne, Sports Direct Fitness and énergie Fitness. Between them they account for 30 per cent of all private clubs and more than 60 per cent of private sector membership and market value.
The biggest players are PureGym (379 sites) and The Gym Group (234) which have been largely responsible for pushing membership in the low-cost segment beyond three million this year. The biggest franchisors – Anytime Fitness, énergie Fitness and Snap Fitness – now have 324 clubs between them, down from 327 in 2023. They opened 21 clubs between them and closed 24. Drilling down into this, Snap Fitness has told HCM it gained six clubs last year.
Prices have gone up. For the first time the average low-cost monthly fee has risen above £24 and 89 per cent of all UK low-cost clubs now charge £20 or more a month. Those in London are the most expensive, charging an average of £30.10, compared with £23.05 outside the capital.
PureGym’s average fee is 4.5 per cent higher than last year and The Gym Group’s is up 9.3 per cent as part of its push to optimise market rates against its competitors.
David Lloyd has the highest average monthly membership – more than £150 – followed by Nuffield, starting at £85.
In the independent sector, there's been a reduction of seven clubs: down from 2,178 in 2023 to 2,171 in 2024. However there's been a 2.9 per cent increase in members to 1.42 million and the market value has gone up by 8.8 per cent to £796 million.
Around 33 per cent of private clubs are open 24/7.
Public sector clubs
The total number of public sector gyms has fallen to 2,496 compared to 2,538 in 2023 – a difference of 42. Despite this, member numbers have risen by 1.9 per cent to 3.36 million; penetration has reached 5 per cent (from 4.9) and market value has increased by 6.2 per cent to an all-time high of £1.44 billion.
At 46 per cent, the majority of public sector facilities are managed by a trust, but there is a noticeable trend for insourcing that now accounts for 20 per cent of the market. Educational establishments run 14 per cent of public sector sites, while leisure management contractors operate 9 per cent.
Wth 195 facilities, GLL is largest trust operator and is aiming to achieve £2 billion of social value over the five years.
Only 1 per cent of public sector gyms are open 24/7 and the average membership fee charged is £32.07.
Penetration
The penetration rate varies around the UK, with London having the highest rate at 19.9 per cent, with 826 gyms and a value of £1.38 billion. It’s 16.5 per cent in Scotland, with 657 gyms. The rest of England has 16 per cent penetration with 5,778 gyms; Wales sits at 14 per cent, with 385 gyms and Northern Ireland has 11.3 per cent penetration and 189 gyms.
ENDNOTE
Leisure DB founder, David Minton, has been analysing the UK health and fitness industry for almost 20 years. Figures come from a proprietary database that holds details for 7,009 fitness sites across the UK.
The database is updated daily by a team of researchers with phone calls to sites each year, while bots and other digital resources are used to monitor changes, along with site visits and self-reporting. The 138-page report includes interviews with leaders from across the industry.
The full report is available to read free here State of the UK Fitness Industry Report 2024
back
|
| Latest member news |
 |
|
A seriously social – thank you
Community Leisure UK would like to say a huge ‘thank you’ to their members who
took part in the first ever Seriously Social week. Held in May, the national campaign showcased the work of
charities and social enterprises putting people above profit, connecting communities and helping people to
become healthier, happier and more creative, regardless of age or ability.
read more...
GLL fitness instructor smashes World Record
Anthony Bryan, a fitness instructor at GLL’s Southbury Leisure Centre, recently
took part in the London Marathon. This would be a proud moment for anyone but for Anthony, who suffered
a brain tumour and a stroke as a young child which left him with permanent injuries, it’s an almost
unbelievable achievement.
read more...
Circadian Trust turning its Active Lifestyle Centres ‘green’ with major solar panel programme
New solar panels generating more than 360,000 kilowat hours (kWh) of clean energy
and saving 75 tonnes of carbon a year have been installed at Bradley Stoke Active
Lifestyle Centre in South Gloucestershire.
read more...
Halo Leisure move into Merthyr Tydfil
Award winning social enterprise Halo Leisure is bringing its expertise to Merthyr
Tydfil as it works to get more people more active.
read more...
Better Leisure Centres and Gyms receive Which? Recommended Provider Status
Charitable social enterprise and leisure operator Better has been endorsed by
Which? As a recommended provider for leisure centres and gyms.
read more...
|
|
LED announce new CEO
LED Community Leisure has announced the appointment of Olly Swayne as the new
Chief Executive. The appointment follows the retirement of their long-serving Chief Executive, Peter Gilpin.
read more...
Bouldering upgrade to start at EICA:Ratho after sportscotland investment
Works on the upgrade of the bouldering facilities at Edinburgh Leisure’s flagship
climbing arena at Ratho have begun following a major funding investment from
sportscotland’s Sport Facilities Fund.
read more...
Newport Live’s Positive Futures team empowers refugee and asylum seekers
Newport Live’s Positive Futures team and the Levelling the Playing Field
initiative invited refugees and asylum seekers to join this year's ABP Newport
Marathon Festival, held earlier this year, to run either the 10k or Half Marathon
as part of the 100 Club.
read more...
Leisure Trust celebrates approved training centre status for swim teachers
Doncaster Culture and Leisure Trust (DCLT) has been awarded Approved Training
Centre status by the Swim Teachers Association (STA) meaning that budding swim
teachers can now gain their qualifications at DCLT pools.
read more...
GLL Sport Foundation Confirms 2256 Athlete Awards In 2024
Charitable Social Enterprise GLL has announced 2,256 athletes will benefit from
the 2024 intake of its Sport Foundation – the largest independent athlete award
programme in the UK.
read more...
|
| Business partner news |
|
|
|
|
05 Jun 2024
David Stalker joins Alliance Leisure
Leisure development specialist, Alliance Leisure, has appointed industry veteran, David Stalker,
as advisor to the board, as the company aims for £150 million turnover next year.
read more...
04 Jun 2024
Gen Z women are more engaged with physical activity than previous generations, finds Ernst & Young research
According to new research from Ernst & Young, the gap between female and male engagement
in sport and physical activity is narrowing, with Gen Z adult female engagement figures on the
rise.
read more...
03 Jun 2024
Fitness First ramps up Les Mills partnership
Fitness First has launched three limited edition Les Mills programmes across 13 of its health
and fitness clubs.
read more...
30 May 2024
Mark Tweedie envisions the sector becoming a national wellness service
In the latest edition of HCM magazine, Mark Tweedie talks about his hopes for the health and
fitness sector becoming a national wellness service, partnering the NHS, within 20 years.
read more...
|
|
28 May 2024
Fitness influencers have a negative impact on mental health
New research shows that following social media health influencers motivates young people to
exercise more vigorously and eat more fruit and vegetables, but their mental health often
suffers.
read more...
25 May 2024
JD Gyms acquires Simply Gym as it targets 100 locations
The JD Gyms Group has completed a deal to acquire Simply Gym from Bay Leisure. The deal
comprises four gyms: one in Greater London and three in South Wales.
read more...
24 May 2024
Baz Moffat gets 'sweat equity' backing from Priya Oberoi to drive the growth of The Well HQ
Women’s health specialist, The Well HQ, has secured 'sweat equity' backing from Priya Oberoi, founder of
venture capitalists, Goddess Gaia Ventures, who will take on a senior advisory role with the business.
read more...
22 May 2024
Dean Kowarski, global CEO of Virgin Active, will keynote at HCM Summit 2024
Leisure Media has added another heavyweight to its line-up of CEOs for its inaugural HCM
Summit this October. Dean Kowarski will talk about the intersection of fitness and nutrition.
read more...
|
|
|
|
| Regional Meetings |
 |
|
Central Regional Meeting
18 June 2024
|
Joint North West and North East & Yorks
19 June 2024
|
Wales Regional Meeting
2 July 2024
|
South West Regional Meeting
12 July 2024
|
| Special Interest Groups |
|
|
HR Group
12 June 2024
|
Sustainable Buildings
13 June 2024
|
Single Sites
26 June 2024
|
Culture Group
4 July 2024
|
i-Trent
8 July 2024
|
Health Scotland
10 July 2024
|
|
For more information about Special Interest Group and regional / national members meetings, please contact [email protected]
|
| Job vacancies |
|
|
Swimming Teacher (Saturdays)
Salary: £3,768pa (9.00am-2.00pm, Saturdays, in term time)
Location: Boreham, Chelmsford, UK
Company: New Hall School
Read more and apply
|
Chief Executive
Salary: £Competitive + fabulous benefits package
Location: Nelson, UK
Company: Pendle Leisure Trust
Read more and apply
|
Sales, Marketing and Retention Manager
Salary: £37,099 - £44,263pa + generous pension + benefits
Location: Leeds, UK
Company: University of Leeds
Read more and apply
|
Epping Forest Keeper (countryside Ranger)
Salary: £35,663 - £39,805pa + Local Govt Pension + benefits
Location: Loughton, UK
Company: City of London Corporation
Read more and apply
|
Aquatics Officer - dual site
Salary: from £29,269pa
Location: Northwich, UK
Company: Brio Leisure
Read more and apply
|
|
