Fitness is one of the firmly established pillars of franchising, but it may be on the cusp of something even greater.
Words by Kieran McLoone, editor of Global Franchise
As one of the key industries hit hard by the global pandemic – alongside hospitality and restaurants – you’d be forgiven for thinking that fitness will take a long time to return to its former glory.
Some of the biggest international brands fall under this umbrella, but none of them were immune to the lockdowns, restrictions, and bad press that COVID-19 brought. And despite many operators asserting that the virus didn’t even spread throughout their centers, almost all fitness franchisees were forced to shutter their doors for prolonged periods; some, unfortunately, for good.
But it’s far from the end for this energetic sector. Rather than being down for the count, fitness is coming back swinging in a big way. Operators have taken the time to reflect, and elements such as virtual workouts and frictionless, digital avenues for clients to engage with brands have been brought to the forefront of many concepts’ strategies.
“It goes without saying that COVID has severely impacted the fitness and wellness industry”
Running the gamut
One thing that industry insiders and gym-goers alike will appreciate is the sheer variety on offer within the fitness space. Similar to the differences in food and beverage, the fitness sector is made up of small-scale boutique offerings, one-to-one personal training programs, large big-box centers – and everything in between.
While each of these verticals encountered its own challenges over the past year, there are some consistencies that can be found across the entire industry. A shift toward virtual workouts, for instance, was seen in everything from boutique clubs like 9Round, to larger operations like Crunch Fitness.
And as we emerge from the worst of the pandemic, every kind of operation, big or small, needs to put a lot of emphasis on making customers feel safe in returning to in-person workouts.
“It goes without saying that COVID has severely impacted the fitness and wellness industry; pretty much every single one of our businesses had to shut their doors when the pandemic hit one year ago,” says Sunil Rajasekar, president and CTO for digital fitness supplier, Mindbody. “Even as communities have begun to reopen, these businesses need to adapt to the new normal with features such as strict safety precautions and limited capacities.”
You can hear more from Rajasekar about virtual workouts on here, as he unpacks why hybrid models are more likely than wholly online operations. For a more brick-and-mortar approach, make sure to check out the ‘gym of the future’ from Gold’s Gym. And for a comprehensive look at where fitness could be heading, check out our interview with Emre Ozgur, owner of consultancy EOC Fitness, here.
