Results of the study – The Swiss fitness industry in the first half of 2021

Together with DHfPG, swiss active – IG Fitness Switzerland conducted a survey on the Swiss fitness industry in June 2021 in order to map the first developments in the industry after the restart of the Swiss fitness industry. The online survey started on June 4, 2021 and ran until July 9, 2021. The aim of the survey was to create a first representative business card of the fitness industry in Switzerland, to create market transparency and to draw the current mood in the industry against the background of the corona pandemic. We are delighted to present the results of the study to you below. A big thank you also goes to all Swiss fitness operators who took part in the survey, which was initiated in German, French and Italian.

General information about the survey

489 establishments took part in the survey. In total, there are around 1300 fitness centers in Switzerland. This results in a participation rate of 37.6 percent.

Mood from the fitness scene after the restart

The mood in the fitness scene has been positive since the restart. No negative influences on the coronavirus infection rate have been identified in Switzerland since the centers reopened. Established safety and hygiene concepts are the main reason for this stability. 99.6% of operators rate the concepts as fairly or very mature. These are communicated to members in a clear and easily recognizable manner. Posters at the entrance (100.0 % of centers), by email (98.4 % of centers), by employees (99.6 % of centers) or via additional notices in the center (89.0 % of centers), the regulations are clearly visible and extremely clear to customers. The regulations are implemented by the members with a high degree of willingness.

Relevance for the industry

There is scientific evidence that regular physical training contributes to increased functionality of the immune system and enables the body to better adapt to coping with illness. Training influences both the physical and mental health of members. The operators of fitness and health organizations are aware of this fact. They perceive themselves fully (81.8 %) or partially (18.2 %) as health service providers. When asked to assign their center to a positioning, “training” is chosen most frequently (31.6%), followed by “health” (29.6%) and “lifestyle” (27.7%). Only 11.1% assign their center to the “Wellness” positioning.

Qualification as a foundation and relevant building block for the future

Further training and employee qualifications are highly relevant for operators in Switzerland. This is also shown by the following results. In the first year of the pandemic, 99.4 percent of companies used the opportunity to train their employees. So far in 2021 (as of June 2021), this figure is 83.0 percent. The proportion of companies that trained their employees in equipment-based strength training in 2020 is 69.7%. This is followed by further training in functional training/athletic training (63.2%), group fitness (53.0%), equipment-based cardiovascular training (47.4%) and management (44.4%).

Further training in the field of health has future potential

In 2021, equipment-based strength training (57.5%), functional training/athletic training (53.6%), equipment-based cardiovascular training (46.8%), management (42.5%) and group fitness (39.9%) will continue to be the areas in which most facilities train their employees. In addition, employees are increasingly being trained in the area of mental fitness (+ 12.3 percentage points). This is an understandable consequence of the coronavirus crisis and the resulting additional psychological strain on people. It is also another point that shows that the holistic approach of fitness and health is extremely important. It is clear that businesses will continue to focus more on their core offering in the future, but will also train their employees in the area of digitalization. More than one in four operators (28.0 %) have trained their employees in the area of digitalization.

Digitization as a supplement, but not a replacement

The view on this question is clear. Digitalization is seen by 79.5 percent of operators as a supplement to training in the center, but by no means a replacement. Live group courses and training videos have become more important as a result of the crisis.

Check-in figures in comparison

There has been a clear increase in check-ins since the restart. Although more visits were registered in April/May 2019, the trend since the restart is clear. The increase of around 24.0% to 3,176 check-ins from April 21 to May 21 is very positive, as a drop of 15.2% was recorded in 2019.

Overview of the age groups

It is striking that the target group of 20 to 29-year-olds is most frequently represented after the restart. Around 59.1% of respondents stated this. The data also shows that the age groups aged 50 and over in particular have a lower training frequency than before the pandemic. While 42.6% of centers report an increased frequency of training among those aged 19 and under, the older target groups appear to have increasingly stayed away from centers since the restart. In the 60-plus age group, 97.7% of operators report a lower frequency of training than before the pandemic. The aim here is to identify the barriers among these target groups and take appropriate countermeasures.

The development of the number of members

Looking at the market as a whole, the average number of members per center after the restart in May 2021 is 1,130, a reduction of 11.8% compared to the same period before the pandemic (May 2019: 1,281). However, the outlook for winter is positive. For December 2021, operators expect an average number of 1,214 members per center, which would be an increase of 7.4% compared to May this year and a reduction of 9.9% compared to December 2019.

Employees at a glance

The total number of employees in 2020 was 27,690. As at December 31, 2021, the operators expect the number of employees to reach 30,550, an increase of 10.3%. On average, a center employs just under 23 people, including 11 permanent employees and two dual students.

Conclusion

Despite the COVID circumstances, the signs in the Swiss fitness industry are positive. Check-in figures are heading towards 2019 levels, and membership figures are also slowly recovering. The trend in the number of employees also shows that the industry is continuing to grow. Against the backdrop of the coronavirus crisis, digitalization has proven to be a complementary service. This is strengthening the industry and a differentiated offering has made it easier for members to integrate fitness training into their lives. Operators are positive about the future. 61.9% expect the economic situation of their center to (rather) improve in the next twelve months. The fitness industry is and will remain an industry of the future – especially beyond the crisis.