Gym Group nears one million members as company swings to profit
The low-cost gym operator said it plans to open 16 more sites across the UK this year.
The Gym Group’s membership numbers ticked up nearer to one million as it swung back to a profit last year and geared up to open up to 16 new sites in the coming 12 months.
The company said average members per gym jumped 4%, helping it turn a pre-tax profit of £2.5 million, up from an £8.3 million loss the year before.
By the end of February 2025, the company had 951,000 members, while the proportion of them visiting four or more times per month also grew.
London-listed Gym Group has about 250 locations across the country focusing on the low-cost end of the market.
But the company has been loss-making in recent years, despite growing membership numbers.
Chief executive Will Orr launched a fresh plan in March last year which saw it reduce promotions and focus more on retention to convert the growing customer base into profit.
Now, average revenue per member, a key metric for the Gym Group, is up 7% compared with 2023, helping push overall turnover up by one-tenth.
The company has benefitted from an increased focus on health among younger Britons, and has targeted them with even cheaper products, such as an off-peak membership.
And the cost-of-living crisis has seen consumers increasingly flock to cheaper gyms.
The Gym Group’s return on its estate of so-called mature gyms rose to 25%, up from 21% last year, after “better targeted customer acquisition and early progress on retention”.
Mr Orr said the company has made “good progress” in growing membership and profit.
“Our market-leading proposition is more resonant than ever, in a sector that is growing,” he added.
The company has seen a 4% increase in average members during January and February this year, as new members driven by New Year resolutions drove “strong” trading.
