IHRSA Global 25: fitness industry making positive strides

Last year, when discussing the IHRSA Global 25, the phrase people used most frequently to describe the industry, overall, was “recession-resilient.” But that was last year.

Now, in reflecting on the industry’s performance in 2013, club operators, analysts, investors, and others seem to have moved on. “Many of the industry’s leaders have put the recession behind them, and are trying to figure out in what ways the sector is going to perform differently going forward,” observes Rick Caro, the president of Management Vision, Inc., a Manhattan- based consultancy.

In short: It’s a new day, a new game, and industry players are trying to sort it all out.

The IHRSA Global Report for 2014, the basis for the IHRSA Global 25 lists, chronicles changes from 2012 to 2013, and, in general, reveals across-the-board increases in a wide range of metrics - both with respect to the U.S. and global industries. Domestically, revenues climbed from $21.8 billion in 2012 to $22.4 billion in 2013, a 2.8% increase; the number of facilities, from 30,500 to 32,150, up 5.4%; and the number of members, from 50 million to 54 million, a solid 8% rise.

For more on the Global 25, read on.

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Positive numbers come out of IHRSA Global 25

Following the tough recession years in the late 2000s and early 2010s, the good news that came with The IHRSA Global 25 the past couple years was that the fitness industry is "starting to come out of the woods."

There are still a few trees to get past in 2013. And even though the report shows that club memberships in the U.S. are down 2.3% to 50.2 million, revenues actually increased to $21.8 billion - a 1.8% increase from  $21.4 billion in 2011.

Each year, The IHRSA Global 25 ranks companies on total membership, total clubs owned, total revenue, revenue and unit growth, total franchise units, as well as 5-year revenue growth and 5-year unit growth. 

For more on the report, read on.

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