6 Member Retention Tips to Help Grow Your Gym Business
Struggling with member retention? You’re not alone. Whether you’re running a start-up fitness studio or managing a growing gym franchise, member loyalty is the heart of your success. With 4,727 private gyms and fitness clubs competing for attention in the UK, standing out isn’t just about getting new people through the door, it’s about keeping the ones you already have.
In this blog, you’ll discover 6 effective member retention tips to help you future-proof your facility, build lasting relationships and ultimately boost your revenue.
What do membership attrition and retention mean?
Understanding attrition and retention is key to measuring the success of your gym business.
- Attrition refers to the rate at which members leave over a certain period, e.g. weekly, monthly, quarterly or yearly. A high attrition rate signals a problem.
- Retention, on the other hand, measures how long members stay and remain active. A high retention rate shows your members are satisfied with what you provide.
The two go hand in hand, as reducing the number of members leaving means you naturally increase the amount of time members stay, which helps your profitability. For gyms, fitness facilities and personal trainers, this stability is essential to keep you afloat and secure long-term revenue growth.
How to measure your membership retention
Tracking your gym member retention rate is crucial for spotting gaps in your business strategy, as this metric is an indicator of growth and overall customer satisfaction.
You can calculate it by following these steps:
- Choose a time period you want to measure
- Find your starting member count at the beginning of that period
- Count how many new members there were during that time
- Count how many total members joined during that time
- Subtract the new members from your ending total to find how many stayed from that original group
- Divide this number by your starting member count
- Multiply by 100 to get your retention rate as a percentage
Ideally, your retention rate should be above 80% to reflect happy members. If it’s between 60-79%, there is room for improvement, and it’s worth investigating what works and what doesn’t. Anything lower than 60% is a red flag and you should take action to improve your retention strategy.
Why is gym member retention so important?
While new faces in your gym are great, member retention is about creating an environment that keeps people coming back. Loyal gym members stay longer, recommend you more often and become advocates for your business. They’re an extension of your brand. Your members not only train at your gym, but they’re also investing in becoming the best versions of themselves with your facility as a leading part in that journey.
Trust plays a huge role in this, as evidenced by the fact 71% of people in the UK would stop purchasing from a company altogether if their trust is broken, while 81% say brand trust is a deal breaker or deciding factor in where they spend their money.
What are the challenges of retaining gym members?
It’s not always straightforward to predict. Over half (52%) of cancellations happen silently, often through direct debit cancellations, failed payments, or members generally leaving without providing a reason, which can make it difficult for you to identify the root causes.
Some common challenges gyms face when it comes to retention are:
- Members giving up on their goals: Without the right support, their motivation drops quickly.
- Lack of community: Members are more likely to leave if they don’t feel connected.
- Poor facilities: Overcrowded areas due to poor layout, lack of cleanliness or insufficient training space can drive members away.
- Pricing issues: Unclear pricing or financial struggles may lead to more membership cancellations.
- Unsatisfactory equipment: If your machines are broken, accessories are dented or frayed, or you have a limited variety of equipment, it may send the wrong message about your standards.
- Inconsistent communications: If your written tone of voice and visual branding inside of your gym aren’t aligned to your values, it can be confusing for members.
Each of these factors influences member loyalty. So, how do you build trust and navigate these challenges to keep your members happy and continuing their memberships?
How to keep members happy and returning to your gym
Whether you’re a gym owner or a facility manager, here are our top tips on how to increase retention and make your gym the one members never want to leave.
1.) Invest in reliable equipment
Nothing frustrates members more than broken machines, worn-out ropes or equipment that doesn’t meet their training needs. It also reflects poorly on your business and harms your chance at staying competitive.
- Maintain your equipment – like kettlebells, bumper plates and accessories – regularly with quality-control checks and audits.
- Choose gear that’s robust, reliable and adaptable for multiple training styles.
- Replace outdated machines or faulty equipment before they become an issue.
2.) Optimise your gym layout
A cluttered or disorganised layout creates overcrowding, safety concerns, and a miserable training experience. When it comes to flow and structure, you should design with your members in mind instead of what ‘looks’ best.
- Ensure your training zones are clearly defined with accessible equipment.
- Create open areas for group workouts and functional training.
- Design with safety and accessibility in mind.
At Wolverson Fitness, you can visualise and plan a layout that maximises your space, reduces congestion and enhances member satisfaction with our 3D gym builder.
3.) Build a community
Retention thrives when members feel like they’re part of something bigger. Without a sense of belonging, members are more likely to cancel. A strong community not only keeps existing members engaged but attracts referrals organically through word of mouth.
- Embrace a friendly and supportive atmosphere.
- Encourage staff to be positive and engage personally with members.
- If your space allows host events, challenges or workshops to strengthen community ties.
4.) Leverage social media to stay connected
Social media isn’t just a marketing tool. It’s a powerful retention driver which allows you to showcase the people behind your business and keep members engaged outside of the gym. When members feel connected online, they’re also likely to stay loyal offline – and it becomes a cycle!
- Share tutorials, tips and motivational content which is relevant to your members.
- Showcase your members’ achievements to boost morale.
- Use it to promote classes, offers and gym updates.
5.) Enhance the experience with added value
Your members don’t just stay for the workouts - they stay for the experience and how your space makes them feel about themselves. Without any added value, they’ll start to look elsewhere where they might feel more valued. Going above and beyond shows your members that they matter.
- Offer deals and discounts that reward loyalty.
- Provide personalised tracking to help members see progress.
- Create diverse classes to keep training exciting and allow members to try something new.
- Maintain staff training to ensure excellent customer service.
6.) Want to build brand trust for your gym?
We’re committed to helping gyms like yours stand out and succeed. From highly rated, durable equipment to our innovative 3D gym builder, we can help you design an inspiring space to keep your members happy and coming back.
Contact the team on 01922 618780 or fill out a free consultation form to find out how we can help you create a gym experience members love – and never want to leave.
