Following a record-year, the global health club industry entered 2020 with a promising start. Then the COVID-19 pandemic struck, closing roughly a third of fitness clubs and studios worldwide by April. The U.S. industry alone lost $20.4 billion in 2020, just one year after generating an all-time high of $35 billion in revenue. The permanent closure of 17% of clubs in the U.S.—and as high as 40-50% in some countries—has left a large segment of displaced members seeking new alternatives.
The 2021 IHRSA Global Report details the impact of the pandemic on the health club industry in 2020, as well as industry developments over the year. The report is divided into four parts:
• The "Industry Overview" section highlights relevant news from the past year, along with insights from industry experts and leading club operators, as well as a summary of the early impact of the pandemic on the industry.
• New this year, the "Industry Research" section recaps the timeline of the pandemic’s impact on the industry, closures & restrictions by region, insights on recovery, and the performance of publicly traded fitness companies.
• The "Company Profiles" section highlights more than 300 leading health club companies from around the world.
• The "Supplier Profiles" section features a variety of fitness industry suppliers, whose innovative products and services help club operators serve their members and communities.