German fitness market dominated by Gym chains

Over 8.6 million Germans have a gym membership, roughly 9.5 percent of the population. The number of fitness gyms has been growing recently, with total number of gyms now at 7,940. 2013 saw an 8.1 percent increase in gym memberships across the country compared with the previous year. A recent report has revealed that there is a trend in Germany, towards people choosing chains over independent gyms.

The report, released by Deloitte, DSSV, the German Gym Federation and DHfGP, expects further market growth for chain gyms in the coming years. Chains are able to provide a more diverse range of services at a lower price point. Since 2008, membership in all types of gyms has increased by 5.9 percent annually, but chains showed a more rapid growth than independent gyms. From 2008 to the end of 2013, chain gyms added 1.7 million new members, bringing their total number of members to 4.2 million.

The fitness industry has experienced a price gap between price-driven companies and those that offer premium services. Companies caught in the middle have become less competitive, not able to match the chains in membership fees or quality of service. Some chains are also targeting niche groups, pulling them away from more traditional service providers. The report estimates the total number of gym memberships in Germany to reach 10 million by 2016.

The leading German fitness chains are:

Position	Chain	No. of members	No. of gyms
1	McFIT	1,004,000	161
2	Fitness First	270,000	88
3	clever fit	245,000	149
4	Kieser Training	236,000	115
5	INJOY	204,000	160