The reputation of the health and fitness club sector for being recession-proof has taken a hit with figures suggesting the industry has returned to its pre-pandemic size.
According to the 20th annual State of the Fitness Industry Reportthere has been a decline in the total number of sites, with an impact on memberships, market value and penetration rates, along with the most full-time closures since records began.
The report, based on an audit of all UK venues, says the number of sites is down 2.4% compared to 2019 to 7,063, while memberships are down 4.7% to 9, 9 million. The market value is down 4.3%, the first year-over-year decline since 2008. The penetration rate,
