Some facts from my mate who owns a gym..

[GreenDragone]

My mate owns a private gym. The other day we were sitting in the sauna together & he was telling me all about the running of it:

There are 3000 members paying just over £100/month
Of that, the membership is split 70%women/30%men
Only 300 members regularly attend, so 2700 are paying subs for something they never use!
Of the 300 who do regularly attend, 70% are men & 30% women..

Somehow that just blows my mind... I don't know what the overheads are but it sounds like a money-making machine. 2700 coughing up £100+ a month for nothing... & a great place to meet a man!

over £100 a month?? Where is this?

Don't want to out myself with a location but somewhere that can easily support that fee.

Does not surprise me at all.
Most big chains budget for 60% of members never coming in the door

depends what regular is?

To get people to pay over £100 pm, it must be very fancy or in an expensive location.

I'd be wanting to see the rent or mortgage bill, business rates, VAT bill, sauna and pool heating bills, equipment service and replacement costs, or wages bill before assuming it's a money making machine.

I cane my membership because I'm in there every day so it actually works out cheaper than the local leisure centre.

Wow that’s amazing. Feels a little on the verge of unethical, exploiting people’s laziness kinda. But they are the fools
I guess. Why I’ve never had a gym subscription!

I’m about to join a gym tomorrow for the first time ever. I’ve always talked myself out of it as I fear never using it.

I guess the overheads will be quite high with all the staff & all the facilities that need maintaining.

I'm quite fascinated that most of the members are female but the greater number of attendees are male. It's very friendly.

I think it's around £100 a month at David Lloyd?

I'll stick with my 9.99 a month thanks! And I'm one of the 30% of women who do go - and too often according to DH!

Is he in London?? Must be hard to make a decent living I think x

Fixed costs are much higher than variable costs in a gym. So even if far more people were using the gym, his costs would only increase marginally. So essentially not the absolute killing that it first appears.

Only 10% as regular attenders sounds conforms with my suspicions. I'm sure most people don't get value for money out of their membership.

I can believe that.
I also suspect many don’t actually use the gym or exercise and just visit the pool/sauna.

Ours is £22 a month with non of that crap

This gym happens to be on my doorstep. The local authority one is a decent bus drive away & I knew I'd never be bothered with the faff of all the travel - being lazy like

I wonder if the gym would actually have the capacity to cope if suddenly all members decided to regularly use it. If they haven't built the gym in the expectation of all members using it regularly, they are selling something in the full knowledge that they cannot fulfill their end.

I was once teased by a manager at my gym that I cost them money as I use the facilities and classes and showers most days

I fancy joining a gym now!

Cost doesn't surprise me, I was paying over £100 (in expensive part of Surrey) 15 years ago.

I went pretty much every day, but my friend that joined with me went twice in the 2+ years she was a member!

Perhaps it depends on the type of gym.

People who have £100 to spend on gym membership are possibly the type not to attend.

My LA gym is well attended ( mostly by women)

This gym happens to be on my doorstep

I've just moved house and I can see the gym from my bed. That’s the reason I think i’ll actually use it. I’ll feel too guilty watching everyone slogging their guts out from my house if I’ve paid to be there.

You're right IWanna I think if everyone turned up there'd be a lot of us doing yoga outside in the gardens!

I have a friend who sold a private gym. They told the new owner

Whatever you do don’t mailshot everyone letting them know you’ve taken over

The new owners mailshot all the members, within a year the private gym went bust

Mailshot of a gym reminds everyone that their not using the gym and they cancelled their memberships...

I wonder if you're near me ILove ? We'll all be in the gym on the machines looking at your bedroom window calling you a lazy bum for not coming in!
When I was new & super keen, I used to queue up with all my mates when the doors opened & we'd take over all the treadmills & warm up with a good gossip & plenty of banter - it was fantastic fun.