While Gen Z leads gym engagement, gym usage among parents has surged. 58% of consumers with children under 18 used gyms in September 2024, up from 49% in August 23. Brands can capitalise on this by adapting services to their needs (eg childcare, postnatal exercise courses).
With slowing inflation, well-off consumers are another growing user group. 53% of financially healthy Germans used health and fitness clubs, up from 41% in August 23. However, rising costs over the past two years have strained some household finances, necessitating ongoing support for less affluent users.
Despite increased participation, 59% of financially healthy users are considering cancelling their membership/third party online subscription service in the next 12 months (vs 40% of those with tight finances*). Yet, 68% of users considering cancelling plan to spend more money at health and fitness clubs, indicating that well-off users seek gyms providing additional services. Brands can build loyalty by offering upgrades such as lifestyle coaching.
Focusing on social aspects can boost user satisfaction. Gyms can build a community by offering competitive activities. Moreover, AI advancements offer chances to tap into more engaging and tailored fitness tools longer-term. Gyms need to monitor AI developments to enhance personalisation and stay ahead in technology.
This report looks at the following areas:
- The short-, medium- and long-term impact of inflation on private health and fitness clubs, including changes in consumer behaviour
- Usage of and interest in private health and fitness clubs, with a focus on well-off consumers and families as promising target groups
- Frequency of health and fitness club visits and monthly costs
- Types of health and fitness club offers used or interested in, and how brands can resonate with new target groups
- Satisfaction with health and fitness clubs and strategies to foster consumer loyalty
- Behaviour towards health and fitness clubs
As inflation slows, gyms can enhance their offerings with services like lifestyle coaching to offer upgrades to affluent users, thereby increasing consumer loyalty.
Silvia Hondt, Senior Research Analyst
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
- Key issues covered in this Report
- Overview
- The five-year outlook for health and fitness clubs
- Market context
- Ongoing crises call for a mood booster
- Healthy lifestyles
- AI is set to bring health tech to the next level
- Mintel predicts
- Market size & forecast
- Priority on health fuels continued value growth
- Gym memberships will rise with ongoing easing inflation
- Opportunities
- Foster well-off consumers’ loyalty with upgrades
- Focus on growing target groups
- Prioritise the social element to boost user satisfaction
- Leverage AI longer-term to make exercising more engaging and provide personalised support
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MARKET DRIVERS
- The German economy
- 2024 remains challenging
- Graph 1: key economic data, in real terms, 2019-25
- The inflation rate is bouncing back to more conventional levels
- Inflation is still the key factor affecting consumers’ finances…
- …confidence and expenditure
- Graph 2: financial confidence index, 2022-24
- The impact of the economy on health and fitness clubs
- Ongoing price increases in 2024
- Graph 3: consumer price index, 2023-24
- Mood booster needed
- Healthy lifestyles
- Germans’ health status
- Germans need help improving health in times of crises
- Health perceptions vary between the different areas of health
- Graph 4: perception of different areas of health NET, 2024
- Germans continue to prioritise health
- Graph 5: changing priorities compared to a year ago, 2024
- Tech
- Technology grants consumers control of their health
- Graph 6: activities done or interested in doing with a smartwatch, 2024
- AI provides opportunities for more personalised fitness training
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WHAT CONSUMERS WANT AND WHY
- Usage of and interest in health and fitness clubs
- Benefit from increasing user numbers
- Use of third-party subscriptions is on the rise…
- Graph 7: interest in using private health & fitness clubs*, 2023 vs 2024
- Graph 8: use of private health & fitness clubs, 2023 vs 2024
- …and Older Millennials are a growing user group
- Graph 9: any usage of private health & fitness clubs NET, by generations, 2023 vs 2024
- Position visiting health and fitness clubs as ‘me time’ for parents with older kids…
- …and help parents with newborns include fitness in their daily routines
- Entice older generations to gyms…
- Graph 10: aspects that encourage a healthy lifestyle most, by generation, 2024
- …by focusing on healthy ageing
- Frequency of health and fitness club visits and monthly costs
- Frequency of health and fitness club usage remains stable
- Graph 11: frequency of health and fitness club usage, 2023 vs 2024
- Support younger men to include a more active approach towards recovery
- Germans are keen to pay more to use a health and fitness club
- Support less well-off consumers
- Types of health and fitness club offers used or interested in
- Individual training is key
- Graph 12: types of health and fitness club offers used, by type of health and fitness club used – NET, 2024
- Help gym users make individual training more social
- Derive inspiration from CSE Entertainment’s competitive fitness tools
- Demonstrate value for money of private coaching…
- …and leverage AI to offer individual advice on a larger scale
- Help older consumers tap into strength training
- Support mothers to reduce stress
- Interested non-users show high demand across different offers
- Graph 13: types of health and fitness club offers interested in, 2024
- Position yourself as a holistic health club to resonate with interested non-users…
- …and showcase variety to distinguish yourself from other clubs
- Satisfaction with health and fitness clubs
- High satisfaction ratings among gym users
- Leverage high satisfaction across different aspects…
- Graph 14: satisfaction with different characteristics in the private health and fitness club used most, 2024
- …to build your strategy around key factors influencing overall satisfaction
- Invest in rewarding factors
- Focus on improving priority areas by emphasising the social element
- Empower women to build a community
- Health issues vary greatly depending on menstrual status…
- Graph 15: health issues experienced in the last 12 months, by selected menstrual cycle, 2024
- …and brands can adapt to this to improve female users’ wellness
- Higher fees, happier members: satisfaction soars with price
- Graph 16: level of satisfaction with different aspects, by low-cost gym users, 2024
- Higher fees, happier members: satisfaction soars with price
- Graph 17: level of satisfaction with different aspects, by mid-range and premium gym users, 2024
- Low-cost gyms: find reasonably priced ways to improve satisfaction
- Behaviours towards health and fitness clubs
- Blend training optimisation with fun
- Graph 18: behaviours towards private health and fitness clubs, 2024
- Foster well-off Germans’ loyalty with upgrades
- Enhance engaged users’ training experience with fun exercising
- Implement holistic health tracking
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LAUNCH ACTIVITY AND INNOVATION
- ALDI SPORTS and McFIT collaborate to offer discount gym memberships
- McFit’s new holistic concept
- EGYM Genius provides AI-powered customised fitness experiences
- ACISO’s initiative centres older target groups
- ACISO’s initiative focuses on older target groups
- Advertising and marketing activity
- Urban Sports emphasises holistic wellbeing
- More than a gym – jumpers fitness fosters community
- All inclusive Fitness promotes a comprehensive approach to fitness
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MARKET SHARE
- Chains are driving market growth
- Graph 19: value share of types of health and fitness clubs, 2019-23
- Graph 20: volume share of types of health and fitness clubs, 2019-24
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MARKET SIZE, SEgmentation AND FORECAST
- Market value is back on track…
- …while market volume recovery is lagging behind 2019
- Rising prices continue to drive value growth…
- …with a steady increase in membership numbers
- Priority on health fuels continued value growth
- Gym memberships will rise with ongoing easing inflation
- Growth is driven by economic dynamics short term
- More diversified target groups and AI to fuel mid to long-term growth
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APPENDIX
- Appendix – products covered, abbreviations, consumer research methodology and language usage
- Products covered in this Report
- Abbreviations
- Consumer research methodology
- Key driver analysis – Methodology
- Key driver output – health and fitness clubs – Germany
- A note on language
- Appendix – market size and central forecast methodology
- Forecast methodology
- Forecast methodology – fan chart
- Market size – value
- Market size – volume
- Market forecast and prediction intervals – value
- Market forecast and prediction intervals – volume
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