Retention may be improved by adding more of your gym’s most popular kit / photo: shutterstock.com
I’m writing regarding your recent three-part retention series (see HCM May, June and July 13). It’s not that I disagree with Guy Griffiths: I’m sure operators would improve retention if his advice were followed. However, what I take issue with is the one-dimensional aspect of every retention discussion that takes place in the fitness sector. It seems the industry views retention as a simple equation of ‘retention = staff engagement with customers’.
The discussion must be expanded, recognising other aspects of the customer experience that affect retention.
We’ve been measuring the ‘availability’ of gym equipment for two and a half years now, and have seen that when a gym is at full capacity and customers can no longer easily get on equipment, the membership base stops growing. As fast as the sales team sells memberships, existing customers leave. When gyms solve equipment bottlenecks in specific areas, removing kit that’s not being used and adding more of the popular stations, membership grows. In one site that had an overall capacity shortage and expanded the whole gym, direct debits increased by £420k p.a.
Simply put, customers stop coming to gyms when they can’t get on the kit they want, when they want, and this has a massive impact on retention.
But what of the retention impact of improving the aircon system, changing rooms, AV entertainment, cleanliness...?
These aspects, and many others, will have an impact. To move beyond the 12 per cent penetration rate, I believe the industry needs to research the impact of other value drivers on retention, and not only focus on customer engagement. Rory McGown, Founder, GYMetrix
New study will link retention with member characteristics I agree with the editor that using crude member groupings to inform engagement strategies can lead to discord between member and club (see HCM July 13, p5). Unfortunately the majority of clubs, and the industry as a whole, only have limited information on which to base any groupings.
In addition, we will be examining the value members place on different communication channels, from reception and fitness staff to SMS, email and social media. The first results from the study will appear towards the end of the year.
Dr Melvyn Hillsdon Physical activity researcher
photo: shutterstock.com/ Deklofenak
The retention study will follow and survey 10,000 club members
CoverMe, the global leader in fitness workforce management, today launches CoverMe PT, an
on-demand personal training platform that connects the right personal trainer to the right
client in under 10 seconds. [more...]
Active Blackpool is deploying Cornerstone Connect, a new digital interface allowing
disparate information from multiple systems to be aggregated into one dataset, to support
its focus on reducing health inequalities and improving healthy life expectancy. [more...]
Retention may be improved by adding more of your gym’s most popular kit / photo: shutterstock.com
I’m writing regarding your recent three-part retention series (see HCM May, June and July 13). It’s not that I disagree with Guy Griffiths: I’m sure operators would improve retention if his advice were followed. However, what I take issue with is the one-dimensional aspect of every retention discussion that takes place in the fitness sector. It seems the industry views retention as a simple equation of ‘retention = staff engagement with customers’.
The discussion must be expanded, recognising other aspects of the customer experience that affect retention.
We’ve been measuring the ‘availability’ of gym equipment for two and a half years now, and have seen that when a gym is at full capacity and customers can no longer easily get on equipment, the membership base stops growing. As fast as the sales team sells memberships, existing customers leave. When gyms solve equipment bottlenecks in specific areas, removing kit that’s not being used and adding more of the popular stations, membership grows. In one site that had an overall capacity shortage and expanded the whole gym, direct debits increased by £420k p.a.
Simply put, customers stop coming to gyms when they can’t get on the kit they want, when they want, and this has a massive impact on retention.
But what of the retention impact of improving the aircon system, changing rooms, AV entertainment, cleanliness...?
These aspects, and many others, will have an impact. To move beyond the 12 per cent penetration rate, I believe the industry needs to research the impact of other value drivers on retention, and not only focus on customer engagement. Rory McGown, Founder, GYMetrix
New study will link retention with member characteristics I agree with the editor that using crude member groupings to inform engagement strategies can lead to discord between member and club (see HCM July 13, p5). Unfortunately the majority of clubs, and the industry as a whole, only have limited information on which to base any groupings.
In addition, we will be examining the value members place on different communication channels, from reception and fitness staff to SMS, email and social media. The first results from the study will appear towards the end of the year.
Dr Melvyn Hillsdon Physical activity researcher
photo: shutterstock.com/ Deklofenak
The retention study will follow and survey 10,000 club members
The UK's four Chief Medical Officers have published a refreshed edition of Physical activity
guidelines: UK Chief Medical Officers' report, updating the evidence that underpins the nation's
physical activity recommendations and placing greater emphasis on strength, balance, reducing
sedentary behaviour and, for the first time, supporting people taking weight loss medications.
Places Leisure has exchanged contracts to build and operate a flagship £60m water and leisure
destination on behalf of Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council.
The Republic of Ireland will become the latest market in PureGym’s expanding international
portfolio, with the first launch planned for Dublin in 2027.
Anytime Fitness opened more than one club a day in 2025 and is on track to maintain this rate
of growth this year, as parent company Purpose Brands targets further international expansion.
The £33.9 million Leighton Leisure and Community Centre has opened in Leighton Buzzard, UK,
creating a next-generation public leisure, health and wellbeing hub for the local community.
Walnuts Leisure Centre in Orpington, in the London Borough of Bromley, has reopened following
a £17m transformation designed to secure the long-term future of the public leisure asset and
reposition it as a community wellbeing hub.
The Gym Group, has announced that it's sustained positive trading momentum has continued
through the first half of 2026 and the company remains confident about the outlook.
Luxury boutique Pilates and wellness studio, X-Club, officially launches a
4,000sq ft flagship at
Marylebone on 16 July Built around X-Club’s four pillars of wellness – mind,
movement,
nutrition and therapy – the facility features two group exercise studi
CoverMe, the global leader in fitness workforce management, today launches CoverMe PT, an
on-demand personal training platform that connects the right personal trainer to the right
client in under 10 seconds. [more...]
Active Blackpool is deploying Cornerstone Connect, a new digital interface allowing
disparate information from multiple systems to be aggregated into one dataset, to support
its focus on reducing health inequalities and improving healthy life expectancy. [more...]
