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February 2014
The UK’s No 1 fitness industry magazine
Low cost clubs set for growth claims report By Christina Eccles A NEW report has predicted the future of the gym industry, revealing low cost, high technology clubs are set for accelerated growth this year – and mid market clubs need to up their game to stay competitive. The report – 2013 review of the UK Health and Fitness Industry and an outlook for 2014 – has been written by managing director of Oxygen Consulting, Ray Algar, who in it shares his predictions for the coming months. The study divides the market into three segments: low-cost, with monthly membership fees below £20, mid-market, with fees below £50, and premium. One of its observations is that facilities in the 'squeezed' mid-market, which include Britain's most wellknown brands, need an overhaul, not only by experimenting with price but perhaps by returning to more personal services and instructors; upgrading specialist facilities and beginning to compete at the premium end, as LA Fitness is doing with its LAX premium club brand and David Lloyd Leisure with its DL Studios high street micro clubs.
It also claims pressure will be intensifying from the biggest budget chain brands such as The Gym Group, Pure Gym and Xercise4Less, who all have expansion plans for 2014. But, according to the research, not everything in the middle is squeezed. The report also shows how the public sector offers substantial opportunities, as local authorities continue to outsource, enabling leisure trusts and leisure management operators, such as GLL, DC Leisure and Parkwood Leisure, to anticipate a year of healthy growth. Ray said: "The rise of the low-cost gym sector continues to re-shape the UK health and fitness industry. “This means the established midmarket clubs are having to re-invent themselves to remain relevant to very savvy consumers who increasingly are very clear on what they need and value. As I say in the report, change is hard, really hard, but running an irrelevant business is no fun at all." Look out for the next issue of Workout where we will be examining the report in more detail – and speaking to some of the people driving these predicted trends.
No 245 £3
BodyPower to be better and bigger than ever
Fitness fan and reality TV star Lucy Mecklenburgh has launched a new supplement product. MeckTone contains natural ingredients such as aloe vera and green tea and has been designed to support a healthy lifestyle. The star, who appeared in The Only Way is Essex, has also been achieving success with her fitness website Results with Lucy. For full story see the Supplementation and Nutrition section.
THE organisers of BodyPower Expo are gearing up for this year’s show – which they are promising will be bigger and better than ever. After welcoming 55,000 visitors in 2013, the event will return to the NEC, Birmingham from May 1618, with the BodyPower word also spreading further afield with the launch of two new shows in South Africa and India. CEO Nick Orton said: “Year on year we try to add something different to make each event bigger and better than the last. “We invest in market research to ensure we understand what our visitor wants, developing new angles while retaining our core market. This feedback ensures we are in a position to deliver every time. “BodyPower is expanding to India and South Africa in 2014 and the motivation for us is that as our reach extends so does our capacity to inspire people to get fitter and lead healthier lives. “We are trying to positively shape the future of the global fitness industry.”