Club Intel examines Member Behaviors and Sentiments During Covid-19 Gym Closures and What it Means for the Future of the Fitness Facility Industry

As of July 1, 2020, many fitness facilities and gyms across North America were in the process of reopening as part of their jurisdictions phased reopening process for the economy. Despite this positive news for the industry, in the U.S. we are seeing many States delay the reopening of fitness facilities (e.g., New York and North Carolina) and in two cases (Arizona and Southern California), jurisdictions mandating gyms to close for a second time. It appears the painful ending of this Covid-19 disruption, and the inspired new beginning has not fully arrived. As a result, fitness operators will need to be further attuned to the data about member behavior and sentiments during closure and how this should frame business practices during a period of extended closure or during a scaled back reopening period.

In this whitepaper we explore data not presented in our earlier report. Specifically, we will dive into member behaviors and experiences during the Covid-19 induced closure, using the data to bring forward key insights and recommendations with respect to how member behaviors and experiences during gym closures influence return behavior at reopening, but also how these behaviors and experiences are likely to impact member behavior going forward.