Few consumers are loyal to tenpin bowling centres, with only 8% of bowlers visiting more than five times in the past year. However, interest in loyalty initiatives is high, with 38% interested in a scheme that gives them rewards for visiting a centre multiple times and 36% interested in a leisure park-wide equivalent, raising scope for a partnership between bowling centres, cinemas and local restaurants.
In fact cinemas offer great potential for a partnership, given that so many centres are located close by. Some 27% of consumers would be more likely to go bowling if offered a discount for visiting tenpin centres and cinemas on the same day.
Unless the bowling industry can agree on a nationwide discount day of its own, perhaps centres can piggy-back on the interest created by EE Wednesdays, through encouraging cinema-goers to come in for a pre- or post-film bowl.
This report analyses current visiting levels to tenpin bowling centres and finds out what types of occasion encourage people to go. We also ask recent bowlers what other items they bought or paid for during their last visit.
Interest in new or alternative services or facilities at bowling centres is also investigated, as well as ways that could encourage regularity of play. Finally we ask consumers about their attitudes towards tenpin bowling and centres in general.
Definition
Tenpin bowling is played at dedicated bowling centres, which usually provide between 20 and 36 lanes for play, although the more recent generation of so-called ‘boutique’ bowling alleys can feature as few as four lanes. Like most sports and games, tenpin has its governing body – the British Tenpin Bowling Association – while many owners of centres are united by a trade association, the Tenpin Bowling Proprietors Association of Great Britain.
The term ‘bowling’, wherever it occurs in this report, refers exclusively to tenpin. Outdoor and indoor bowls are completely separate games, and they have their own market structure, based on public provision. Tenpin is almost exclusively run as a commercial venture.
Crown copyright material is reproduced with the permission of the Controller of HMSO and the Queen’s Printer for Scotland.
Abbreviations
| CEO | Chief Executive Officer |
| CRM | Customer Relationship Management |
| CVA | Company Voluntary Arrangement |
| DJ | Disc Jockey |
| EBITDA | Earnings Before Interest, Tax, Depreciation and Amortisation |
| EIU | Economist Intelligence Unit |
| FIFA | Fédération Internationale de Football Association |
| FY | Financial Year |
| : | : |
| : | : |
