Ta l k b a c k
photo: evolution wellness
Is flexible pricing the way to get members back to the gym?
Everyone’s talking about
Pricing Despite the renewed interest in health, a proportion of people remain nervous about going back to health clubs because of infection levels in the wider community. Would making adjustments to pricing help overcome these barriers? Kath Hudson investigates
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s reported in HCM issue 10 2021, Fitness First is one of the first UK health club operators to change its membership options in the era of COVID. The company is offering a flexible membership with no contract and no joining fee, giving members the option to access all its 45 clubs.
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Issue 11 2021 ©Cybertrek 2021
Members opting for the new Fitness First FFX flexible memberships are signed up on a rolling contract, which can be cancelled at any point with a month’s notice. The estate has been divided into seven pricing tiers and members can use any club in their tier or lower. Membership rates have also been
refined, with the price for the highest tier, which gives access to 35 gyms in London, having been reduced from £139 to £99. Fitness First UK MD, Lee Matthews, says this is to allow flexibility and not put limits on members’ access to fitness. Will others follow suit? We ask this month’s HCM panel...