What’s in the forecast for the fitness club industry in 2011?
OVERLAND PARK, KS -- What’s in the forecast for the club industry in 2011? Our annual survey found that, although the economy is still creeping toward recovery, many club owners are looking onwards and upwards when it comes to making plans for the future. Here are some of the survey results:
28 percent of respondents said they plan to expand their facilities in 2011. Multi-club respondents (41 percent) are more likely to expand than those who own a single club (25 percent).
More than one-third (38 percent) of respondents plan to renovate their facilities in 2011.
One in five respondents said they will add a facility in 2011. One-third of multi-club respondents plan to add at least one facility in 2011.
The turnover of membership is proportional between single-club and multi-club respondents.
The primary ways that members learn about a club are the website (76 percent), a member referral campaign (67 percent) and in the neighborhood/drive-by (58 percent).
The majority of clubs (60 percent) will focus on direct referrals from current members for their marketing efforts in 2011.
A majority of clubs (64 percent) have personal training as a source of non-dues revenue. All other sources had less than 50 percent of respondents using them.
Respondents expect revenue to increase 5 percent in 2011 compared to 2010.
3 out of 4 respondents expect to keep their prices the same in 2011 for dues (76 percent) and non-dues (76 percent).
71 percent of respondents expect to increase their programming in 2011, with group exercise (58 percent), group training (54 percent) and personal training (51 percent) being the most common programs to be added or increased.
