Gyms lose out as fitness fans seek flexibility with pay-as-you-go classes
Flexible gym memberships are booming at the expense of High Street options, latest figures show.
Payment models that allow fitness fans to avoid contracts and pick where and when they exercise, such as Classpass, grew by 46 per cent last year, according to data firm Cardlytics.
Flexible gym options grew by 46 per cent last year, according to data firm Cardlytics
The amount spent at budget gyms fell by 8 per cent year-on-year, after two years of strong growth, while revenues at mid-market chains such as Fitness First and Virgin Active fell by 1 per cent.
Overall spending at gyms fell by 2 per cent, providing yet more worries for High Street locations that have increasingly relied on leisure activities to fill empty shops.
Classpass (pictured) allows customers to pay up front for ‘tokens’ that can be used at fitness classes at a wide variety of gyms. It now operates in 12 countries, and in a recent fundraising it sought a valuation of $1 billion (£764 million).
Duncan Smith of Cardlytics said: ‘Consumers’ relationships with gyms is changing. A more flexible approach to traditional longer-term contracts is increasingly appealing.’