Table of Contents
Executive Summary
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- Impact of COVID-19 on public leisure centres and swimming pools
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- Figure 1: Short-, medium- and long-term impact of COVID-19 on public leisure centres and swimming pools, 24 August 2020
- The market
- COVID causes unprecedented plunge
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- Figure 2: Forecast of public leisure centre and swimming pool revenues, 2015-25
- Gym operations keeping pools afloat
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- Figure 3: Leisure centre and swimming pool revenues, by segment, 2016-19
- Councils’ cash crisis puts ball in government’s court
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- Figure 4: Swimming pool numbers at the end of each decade, 1980s-2020s
- Companies and brands
- Smaller operations face biggest risks
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- Figure 5: Leading leisure centre and swimming pool operators, by revenue, 2018-19
- The consumer
- Consumers prioritise their post-pandemic activities
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- Figure 6: Willingness to return to gyms, July 2020
- COVID comeback needs core users onside
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- Figure 7: Visiting public leisure centres and swimming pools, July 2020
- Focus on fun can lift recessionary gloom
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- Figure 8: Participation in public leisure centre and swimming pool activities, July 2020
- Absence makes the heart grow fonder
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- Figure 9: Extent to which participants missed suspended public leisure centre and swimming pool activities during the COVID-19/coronavirus lockdown, July 2020
- Most centre users take a cautious approach
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- Figure 10: Enthusiasm for returning to public leisure centres and swimming pools after the COVID-19/coronavirus lockdown, July 2020
- Targeted messaging can counter concerns
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- Figure 11: Confidence in public leisure centres’ and swimming pools’ COVID-19 safety measures, July 2020
- Centre users fit for duty
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- Figure 12: Maintaining a healthy lifestyle during the COVID-19 lockdown, July 2020
COVID-19 and Leisure Centres and Swimming Pools
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- Impact on the market
- Revenues plunge in pandemic
- Leisure funding faces COVID crisis
- Recovery likely to be long and difficult
- Impact on consumers
- People are wary of returning to leisure venues
- Leisure spending is less of a priority
- State support sustains individual confidence
- Impact on companies and brands
- Operators forced to pull the plug
- Funding crisis to push new partnerships
Issues and Insights
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- COVID crisis an overdue catalyst for market reboot
- Cuts, constraints and cross-subsidy
- State support a prerequisite for recovery
- Seeking more swimmers
- Growing the family business
- Leisure centres at the heart of a healthier society
- Coming in from the sidelines
- More than a game
The Market – Key Takeaways
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- Difficult recovery to follow unprecedented plunge
- Pandemic strengthens reliance on gyms
- Councils’ cash crisis puts ball in government’s court
- Public health focus can get leisure centres back in the game
Market Size and Forecast
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- COVID crisis drains the pool
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- Figure 13: Short, medium and long term impact of COVID-19 on public leisure centres and swimming pools, 24 August 2020
- Lockdown
- Re-emergence
- Recovery
- Pre-COVID revenues rose with venue numbers
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- Figure 14: Public leisure centre and swimming pool revenues, 2015-19
- Long, hard road to recovery lies ahead
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- Figure 15: Forecast of public leisure centre and swimming pool revenues, 2015-25
- Market drivers and assumptions
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- Figure 16: Key drivers affecting Mintel’s market forecast, 2015-25 (prepared on 24 August 2020)
- Experience of the last recession
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- Figure 17: Consumer expenditure on leisure and entertainment, 2007-12
- Forecast methodology
Market Segmentation
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- Secondary expenditure is primary COVID casualty
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- Figure 18: Leisure centre and swimming pool revenues, by segment, 2016-2020
Market Drivers
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- Council finances devastated by COVID crisis
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- Figure 19: Swimming pool numbers at the end of each decade, 1980s-2020s
- COVID recovery could sharpen policy focus on physical activity
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- Figure 20: Attitudes towards healthy lifestyles, September 2019
- Health service links increasingly important
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- Figure 21: Sources consumers would seek support from to lead a healthy lifestyle, September 2019
- Public-private competition to centre on hygiene and value
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- Figure 22: Satisfaction with elements of public leisure centre and swimming pool experience, June 2019
Companies and Brands – Key Takeaways
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- Smaller operators face greatest threat
- Britain (was) still building
- Boutique brands capture community feeling
Market Share
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- Better still bigger
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- Figure 23: Leading leisure centre and swimming pool operators, by revenue, 2018-19
Launch Activity and Innovation
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- New facilities continue to open
- Boutique brands build fitness communities
- GLL creates home studio
- DNA testing opens door to targeted wellbeing regimes
The Consumer – Key Takeaways
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- People prioritise their post-pandemic activities
- COVID comeback needs core users onside
- Focus on fun can lift recessionary gloom
- Leisure centre users: We missed you ...
- ... but we won’t be rushing back
- Targeted messaging can counter concerns
- More ready than willing
Impact of COVID-19 on Consumer Behaviour
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- Consumers wary of returning to out-of-home leisure
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- Figure 24: Willingness to return to gyms, July 2020
- COVID concerns expose health, wealth and social priorities
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- Figure 25: Concern over the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak on respondents’ lifestyles, 30 July-7 August 2020
- Families proving particularly cautious in resuming leisure spending
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- Figure 26: Leisure and entertainment spending intentions, 30 July-7 August 2020
- Unemployment is for other people
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- Figure 27: Expected impact of COVID-19 on the UK economy and personal finances, 18-24 June 2020
- Personal confidence raises risk of economic shock
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- Figure 28: Consumer sentiment towards personal finances in the year ahead, July 2020
Leisure Centre Visiting
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- Post-COVID comeback needs younger players onside
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- Figure 29: Visiting public leisure centres and swimming pools, July 2020
Leisure Centre Activities
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- Focus on fun can counteract recessionary gloom
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- Figure 30: Participation in public leisure centre and swimming pool activities, July 2020
- Family swimmers have room to grow
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- Figure 31: Repertoires of public leisure centre and swimming pool activities, July 2020
Lockdown Sentiment
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- Absence makes the heart grow fonder
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- Figure 32: Extent to which participants missed suspended public leisure centre and swimming pool activities during the COVID-19/coronavirus lockdown, July 2020
- Casual participation remains at risk
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- Figure 33: Extent to which participants missed swimming with family/friends at public pools during the COVID-19/coronavirus lockdown, by number of leisure centre activities participated in, July 2020
Post-COVID-19 Activity
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- Centre users slow to dip a toe back in the water
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- Figure 34: Enthusiasm for returning to public leisure centres and swimming pools after the COVID-19/coronavirus lockdown, July 2020
- User testimony can prove facilities are fit for purpose
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- Figure 35: Enthusiasm for returning immediately to public leisure centres and swimming pools after the COVID-19/coronavirus lockdown, by past-year participation in leisure centre and swimming pool activities, July 2020
COVID-19 Safety
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- Targeted messaging can counter concerns
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- Figure 36: Confidence in public leisure centres’ and swimming pools’ COVID-19 safety measures, July 2020
- Activity and frequency are important markers of safety concern
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- Figure 37: Confidence in public leisure centres’ and swimming pools’ COVID-19 safety measures, by past-year participation in leisure centre and swimming pool activities, July 2020
Lockdown Health
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- Centre users fit to return
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- Figure 38: Maintaining a healthy lifestyle during the COVID-19 lockdown, July 2020
- Healthy eating challenge presents an opportunity for operators
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- Figure 39: Agreement that “I have found it hard to eat healthily” during the COVID-19 lockdown, by past-year participation in leisure centre and swimming pool activities, July 2020
Appendix – Data Sources, Abbreviation and Supporting Information
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- Data sources
- Abbreviations
- Consumer research methodology
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