Experts explain the popularity of classes with an affordable price and a wide selection of facilities. In the capital of the Urals, its growth in 2019 was more than 50. Basically, relatively small studios, up to 200-500 square meters, were opened for group training. True, eight of them have closed in the last six months. In addition, in 2022, several fitness clubs were launched in the city, large facilities with a gym and offering a range of services, including premium ones.
– Studios are the fastest growing market segment. This trend is influenced by three factors: minimal investment, a small area and the ability to open a business almost by yourself. For example, in the central part of the city, where there are jobs for a highly paid audience, explains Maxim Borovikov, managing partner of Fitness Data. – Every year several hundred studios are opened in Russia, but the turnover in this segment is very high.
The amount of the payment depends on the format of the site, he adds. Our mini-survey of clients of gyms in Yekaterinburg showed that an unlimited annual subscription to a regular club costs from 10 to 23 thousand rubles, with a pool – from 20 to 40 thousand. By the way, if the cost of a standard subscription in inexpensive gyms and fitness clubs has decreased by about five thousand rubles compared to 2019, then in expensive establishments with a swimming pool, as well as in the studio segment, on the contrary, it has grown . Fitness Data also notes such a widespread trend in Russia as an increase in the price of additional services – by 20-50 percent in three years.
– Now 20 percent more clients come to my network than in February 2019 – this is the highest figure for the entire time of its existence. People started looking for new places to spend their free time. Due to increased demand, we increased the average cost of a check by 10 percent, says Anton Girenko-Kotsuba, owner of the Power house Gym chain of gyms.
And fitness lovers began to train more often: on average not two, but three times a week, the number of one-on-one sessions with a trainer increased by 15 percent, the owner of the network said.
– Gym employees are interested in keeping customers. For example, they gave me a discount on an unlimited annual subscription. True, I noticed that last year they introduced an additional fee for some training, say yoga in hammocks – 200-300 rubles. Separate sections for children have also appeared, says Irina Pimenkova, a client of the Yekaterinburg gym.
She visits an institution that is five minutes from her home, prefers group strength training, step aerobics, Zumba. But the range of club services is not limited to this, and due to the variety of destinations, the audience is growing every year. In addition, the trainers organize various unique events – they organize all kinds of marathons, which, in addition to physical activity, include spa treatments, consultations on the nutrition system, etc.
Employees of Avito Services, after analyzing the data from their resource, also came to the conclusion: in the Sverdlovsk region in recent years, the demand for fitness has doubled. Also, residents of the region often study video lessons, which is cheaper than going to a club. Moreover, residents of not only the regional center, but also other territories were carried away by physical fitness.
Anastasia Palkina, a trainer at the Christy Style health and beauty center in Nizhny Tagil, believes that there are enough gyms and fitness clubs in this city; there is competition, however, there are not enough coaches. Services are in demand: Most clients are 35-45 year olds, but Anastasia also runs a health group for retirees. The cost of the lesson varies from 550 to 750 rubles.
In general, market participants view the development of the industry with optimism.
– Fitness services may be in even greater demand if we start mass-informing people about how they can improve their lives. We will also provide high-quality service and teach staff to see customer needs. For example, some come to classes for silence, while others come to talk (it is better to combine the latter in one group). Someone needs support in achieving a specific goal, believes Anastasia Palkina.
– In the last three years, despite external circumstances, we have continued to grow. And the number of clubs will obviously increase (in Yekaterinburg, the attendance is already comparable to that in Moscow, where the clubs of my network are also located). Although the behavior of clients, of course, depends on the situation in the country, for example, during the mobilization period, the demand for our services decreased. Instability remains a challenge for the industry, says Anton Girenko-Kotsuba.
Help “RG”
According to FitnessData estimates, throughout the country, the increase in clients in this area for three years amounted to 13-14 thousand people. According to the turnover of fitness services, which is given in the agency on the OFD database, the Sverdlovsk region ranks fourth in Russia after Moscow, St. Petersburg and the Moscow region. From the Ural Federal District, the Chelyabinsk region is also in the top ten, and the Tyumen region is in the TOP-20.
