The fitness industry is continuing to thrive, with membership revenue and market value reaching record numbers.
The release of the 2024 State of the UK Fitness Industry Report this month, the sector’s leading independent report, revealed over 10.7m people are now a member of a gym in the UK, with the market valued at more than £5.9bn.
Four times the industry average
Leading fitness franchise Snap Fitness is the UK’s sixth largest private gym operator, opening five gyms across England, Scotland and Wales between March 2023 and March 2024. In doing so, it maintained its place as the fastest growing franchised operator in the UK.
As well as opening more locations, the growth of Snap Fitness’ existing sites is impressive. Against an industry average of a 4.1% rise in membership numbers, Snap Fitness has seen total UK member numbers increase by 17.4% in the same period. This figure rises to more than 21% when including its locations in the Republic of Ireland.
Hear from the CEO
“First of all, it’s fantastic to see our industry continuing to grow,” said Kevin Yates, CEO of Lift Brands EMEA. “The headline figures show that our industry is supporting more people than ever in achieving their health and wellbeing goals. This demand is driving an increase in the number of facilities available. We all join this industry to help others, and it’s evident that people are continuing to enjoy the physical and mental benefits of being part of a gym community.
“It’s a huge compliment to our support team, franchisees, and club teams that Snap Fitness is performing above these industry averages. The recruitment of new franchisees and the scaling of our current network’s portfolios have allowed us to open more locations than any other fitness franchise.
“What makes me proudest is the ongoing performance of our network. Growing our membership base by over 17% is a hugely impressive figure, driven by both the development of our product and, importantly, the hard work of our teams in delivering amazing experiences for our members. I’m excited for what the future holds and look forward to continuing to support our franchisees in growing their businesses.”
Record-breaking openings in 2024
With greater location insights and support, Snap Fitness’ 2024 openings have been breaking records. Its opening in Sligo in the Republic of Ireland broke the pre-sale record for the UK & Ireland, meaning it opened with more members than any previous Snap Fitness location.
They maintained this momentum with the opening of their most recent location in the Cambridgeshire town of March, with the site eclipsing the UK-only pre-sale record. The gym breathed new life into a vacant retail unit, showing the versatility of Snap Fitness’ model and its ability to regenerate existing properties.
Snap Fitness’ future plans
Snap Fitness will open its 100th location across the UK & Ireland this summer, marking a notable milestone for the brand as it continues to grow at pace.
With Snap Fitness being established in the UK for over ten years, many of its gyms are undergoing modernisations in the coming months to the new, vibrant internal design seen in its more recent locations. These modernisations will support its franchisees to meet the changing demands of today’s fitness consumer, providing state-of-the-art facilities which stand out from its competitors.
It is continuing to make significant investments into the experience of its members, with an update of its member smartphone app, the Snap App, being rolled out earlier this year. The app has everything members need to feel supported outside of the gym, including on-demand video workouts, nutrition guidance and recipe plans, as well as exclusive member discounts for leading sports and fitness brands.
This article comes courtesy of Snap Fitness 24/7 the fastest growing fitness franchise in the UK, with a network of 98 franchises in the UK and over 1,000 globally.
