Every cloud has a silver lining, and there have been some positive upshots for gyms through the pandemic and resulting lockdowns. A new awareness or refocus on health is a boost for the fitness industry. The acceleration of fitness technology has been fascinating. And there has also been a big shift in the sharing economy. People and businesses have come together more to share and collaborate.
A Common Enemy
Gyms and health clubs, particularly independents, are competing less with one another. The common enemies both in terms of share of time and money are now entertainment services such as Netflix and Disney+, or food delivery services like Just Eat and Deliveroo.
Independent gyms still contend with the big chains to a certain extent. But post-pandemic, clubs are clearer about their differentiating factors and unique selling points. Small studios and individual trainers are more likely to partner with several other clubs to extend reach, while focusing on their specialism.
More Networking
Collaborations like the Independent Gyms group and The Collective, which were both founded before the pandemic, have flourished through lockdown. The amount of excellent educational content being shared is genuinely inspiring. All the experts, partners, and clubs that have shared their stories have done so to help others, to help clubs and members, and improve the fitness industry as a whole.
Hearing about other clubs’ successes and failures is a great way to learn and grow your own business. It can be lonely at the top, and hearing other gym owner’s stories, and sharing your own, is a great form of therapy, both for you and your club. You will get a bunch of new ideas, and more than likely, some support for your own initiatives or issues as well.
New Partnerships and Business Streams
More clubs are now partnering with therapists and health practitioners, not just simply to rent space, but to build complimentary services and offers to members and clients. They can bring a new perspective and point of view to a club, and new opportunities too.
Health seeker memberships are growing new business streams, bringing in nutrition or even food prep and delivery services (that are much healthier than Just Eat!) Referral and upsell opportunities for health seekers are plentiful, but nutrition and coaching are the two most popular at the moment.
Leisure Centres Sharing Members
During lockdown last year, neighbouring counties found themselves in different tiers, with members across the border unable to travel to visit their club. One leisure trust in North Wales partnered with the local authority in the next county to allow members to workout at each other’s sites. The red tape that would normally have taken months to resolve was sorted in less than 48 hours. Two quite different organisations came together to provide a fantastic member service ensuring people could use their memberships at the neighbouring leisure centre.
It was a brilliant example of customer centric thinking, solving an issue that could have been ignored as ‘impossible’ to fix. It also demonstrated confidence from both businesses to partner without fear of member loss.
Local Independents Team Up
Post lockdown, two independent gyms in Berkshire are arranging a local competition between members and staff. Both clubs are mainly focused on strength and conditioning, and have been open for less than 3 years. The sites are 4 miles apart, and each will host the other for two local ‘derby’ events featuring individual and team challenges like max weight-lifting, farmers walks, hang time, etc. The contests will raise awareness and increase loyalty for both clubs. It is highly unlikely that any members will defect, but members of each club will have friends who live near the other site, so the publicity and rivalry will bring in new members for both.
There is also talk of organising a tug of war between even more local clubs and bootcamp businesses. It is more about co-operation than competition. Events are a great way of sharing everyone’s specialities, raising the profile of local businesses, and working together.
Reach Out to Help Out
Next time you are mystery shopping your local competition, reach out to the business owner for a coffee and a chat. Talk to your fellow gym owners across the country through the free networks mentioned above. Collaborating and sharing information, best practice, and even members is the future.
The common enemy is inactivity and laziness more than the nearest big box gym.
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