ukactive and 4GLOBAL have published the first annual Private Sector Benchmarking report, which represents the most accurate picture yet of the scale and impact of privately operated fitness facilities within the UK.
The report is based on data collected in 2022 and 2023 from 12 private operators, representing 1,089 privately operated fitness and leisure facilities, showing the total number of clubs, number of members and membership revenue, as tracked each quarter.
Key findings (January 2022 – December 2023, with quarters based on calendar year):
• A net of 78 new clubs opened across the UK, representing a growth rate of 7.7 per cent.
• The greatest quarterly growth was seen between Q3 2022 and Q4 2022, with a net of 27 new clubs opening.
• The number of members between Q1 2022 and Q4 2023 increased by 345,958 (10.2 per cent).
• Membership revenue across the same period rose by 22.4 per cent.
The data indicates that despite the cost-of-living crisis, positive consumer habits are still being seen within private sector gym memberships, with consumers renewing or taking out memberships as they prioritise their physical and mental health.
Higher revenue growth may have been driven by inflation-linked price increases in response to operational cost pressures, after the energy crisis caused some operators’ bills to rise by up to 200 per cent.
The Private Sector Benchmarking project began in 2021 when facilities reopened following the Covid-19 pandemic, with ukactive and 4GLOBAL collecting quarterly performance data from participating ukactive members to generate an accurate picture of the private sector’s performance.
The first report details how the Private Sector Benchmarking project will collect data and the benefit it will bring to participating members.
Operators taking part will receive access to a private 4GLOBAL dashboard, where they can track their performance and benchmark this against sector averages on a quarterly basis. They will be able use the data and insights to help support their strategies and growth, based on emerging market trends.
For organisations that operate across Europe, the project aligns with the European DataHub project that benchmarks organisations across the continent.