Author: Mintel Group Ltd.
Last saved by: HTTP server

Leisure Centres and Swimming Pools - UK - April 2008

ISSUES IN THE MARKET
Main issues
Definition
Abbreviations
INSIGHTS AND OPPORTUNITIES
Energy efficiency
Flexible memberships
Care in the community
MARKET IN BRIEF
Market may have reached plateau
Twin pressures
Energy becoming major cost pressure
Collapsing infrastructure
Olympics cause mixed response
Economy looks shaky
Positive trends abound
Consumer trends
FAST FORWARD TRENDS
 TREND 1: STARTER MARRIAGES?
What’s it about?
Observations
What next?
 TREND 2: STREET GAMES
What’s it about?
Observations
What next?
 WHAT IS FAST FORWARD TRENDS?
INTERNAL MARKET ENVIRONMENT
Key points
Energy costs still rising but worst is over
Figure 1: UK fuel price index (real prices) for the industrial sector, 1980-2006
VAT problems arise
Trend towards health and fitness
Figure 2: Agreement with selected lifestyle statements, 2003-07
Participation on the rise
Figure 3: Sports/activities played or taken part in regularly, 2003-07
PPPs key for leisure centres…
…but PFIs drying up?
Figure 4: PFI equity holders and projects, November 2007
BSF offers hope
Figure 5: BSF funding first three years, 2005-08
Competing with the private sector
Lottery funding
Figure 6: Lottery funding for sport since 1995, March 2008
Olympics take priority
Figure 7: Sources of funding for London 2012 Olympics, March 2008
Ageing stock of buildings
Figure 8: Leisure centre provision and population growth, October 2001-March 2007
The 2012 London Olympics
BROADER MARKET ENVIRONMENT
Key points
Long-term economic growth falters
Figure 9: Trends in personal disposable income and consumer expenditure, 2003-13
Demographic trends present a mixed outlook
Figure 10: Trends in the age structure of the UK population, by gender, 2003-13
Getting C2DEs active could be the key
Figure 11: Forecast adult population trends, by socio-economic group, 2003-13
Obesity levels growing
Figure 12: Trends in Body Mass Index of adults in England by gender, 2003-06
Government takes the lead
A depressing statistic?
COMPETITIVE CONTEXT
Key points
The battle with the private sector
Crucial critical mass
Financial advantages
Perceptions still a problem
Competition for the leisure pound
Figure 13: Consumer expenditure on selected leisure goods and activities, 2002-07
Health and fitness memberships low on the list of priorities
Figure 14: Expenditure priorities, 2007 and 2008
STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES IN THE MARKET
 STRENGTHS
The 2012 Olympics
The anti-obesity drive
Ancillary revenues on the rise
 WEAKNESSES
Crumbling building stock
Funding drying up
Concerns over the economy
WHO’S INNOVATING?
Greenwich Leisure focuses on energy efficiency
Parkwood has eye on the Olympics
Council to provide sport for free
Cannons snapped up by hospital group
MARKET SIZE AND FORECAST
Key points
A market that has reached maturity?
Centre numbers in decline
Figure 15: UK local authority-owned leisure centres and swimming pools, by type of site, 2001-07
Market growth cooling
Figure 16: UK market for leisure centres and swimming pools, 2003-13
Back to form in 2009
Olympic flame lighting the way to a bright future?
Factors used in the forecast
SEGMENT PERFORMANCE
Key points
Ancillary offerings continue to improve
Figure 17: UK market for leisure centres and swimming pools by broad revenue source, 2003-08
Participation trends look positive, but rising costs take their toll
Health and beauty treatments and café culture driving ancillary revenues
MARKET SHARE
Key points
Trust-managed centres becoming more common
Figure 18: Management of public sports centres, by type of management, 2006-07
DCL still the leading private operator
Figure 19: Market share of leading private operators of local authority leisure centres and swimming pools, 2007
COMPANIES AND PRODUCTS
 PRIVATE OPERATORS
DC Leisure
Figure 20: Key financial data for DCL (Holdings) Ltd, 2006/07
PFI expansion
Figure 21: DC Leisure, clients and sites, 2007
Serco Leisure
Figure 22: Serco Leisure Ltd, clients and site numbers, 2007
Parkwood Leisure
Organic growth in 2007
Figure 23: Parkwood Leisure Ltd, leisure centre and swimming pool clients and site numbers, July 2007
Leisure Connection
Figure 24: Key financial data for Leisure Connection, 2007
Long-term PFI contracts form the base
Figure 25: Leisure Connection, clients and sites, 2007
Sports and Leisure Management Ltd
Figure 26: Sports and Leisure Management Ltd, clients and site numbers, 2007
Cannons Leisure Management
Figure 27: Cannons Health and Fitness, clients and site numbers, 2007
 NON PROFIT DISTRIBUTING ORGANISATIONS (NPDOS)
Greenwich Leisure Ltd
Figure 28: Greenwich Leisure Ltd, clients and site numbers, 2007
Edinburgh Leisure Ltd
Aquaterra Leisure
Figure 29: Key financial data for Aquaterra to 31st March 2006
Figure 30: Aquaterra Leisure, clients and site numbers, 2007
Wycombe Leisure Ltd
Figure 31: Wycombe Leisure, clients and site numbers, 2007
CONSUMER USAGE OF PUBLIC LEISURE CENTRES AND SWIMMING POOLS
Key points
Drifting away?
Figure 32: Use of public leisure centres, January 2008
Polarity of threats
Competition from the private sector
Competition from apathy
THE USERS AND THE DRIFTERS
Key points
Regular users
Figure 33: Weekly use of public leisure centres, by selected demographic sub-group, January 2008
Infrequent users
Figure 34: Users of lesiure centres on a basis of less than once a month in the last 2 months, by selected demographic sub-group, January 2008
Increasing family usage
Non-users and lapsed users
Non-users
Figure 35: Non-users of public leisure centres, by selected demographic sub-group, January 2008
Lapsed users
Figure 36: Lapsed users of public leisure centres, by selected demographic sub-group, January 2008
Older generation rekindling their interest?
Figure 37: Those who do some form of sport or exercise at least once a week, by age, 2002 and 2007
ASSESSING CONSUMER ATTITUDES TOWARDS PUBLIC LEISURE CENTRES AND SWIMMING POOLS
Key points
Staying afloat
Figure 38: Attitudes towards public leisure centres, January 2008
All about the swimming
Pay as you go
Low level criticism
Overcrowded and underpaid
Poaching the weekly user
Absence and apathy
CONSUMER USAGE ENTICEMENTS
Key points
Money talks
Figure 39: Things that would improve the appeal of public leisure centres, January 2008
The great unwashed?
Are you being served?
User demands
Figure 40: Things that would improve the appeal of public leisure centres, by use of public leisure centres, January 2008
Weekly users:
Monthly users:
Infrequently in the last 12 months:
Lapsed users:
Non-users:
LEISURE CENTRE TARGETING OPPORTUNITIES
Key points
Quality Seekers (10% of sample or five million adults aged 16+)
Who are they?
Swim-as-you-go (31% of sample or 15.5 million adults aged 16+)
Who are they?
Publicly Disgruntled (11% of sample or 5.5 million adults aged 16+)
Who are they?
Going Loco (8% of sample or four million adults aged 16+)
Who are they?
Apathetic (40% of sample or 20 million adults aged 16+)
Who are they?
APPENDIX – CONSUMER USAGE OF PUBLIC LEISURE CENTRES AND SWIMMING POOLS
Figure 41: Leisure centre usage, February 2006
APPENDIX – THE USERS AND THE DRIFTERS
Figure 42: Use of public leisure centres, by demographic sub-group, January 2008
APPENDIX – ASSESSING CONSUMER ATTITUDES TOWARDS PUBLIC LEISURE CENTRES AND SWIMMING POOLS
Consumer attitudes – detailed demographics
Figure 43: Most popular attitudes towards public leisure centres, by demographic sub-group, January 2008
Figure 44: Next most popular attitudes towards public leisure centres, by demographic sub-group, January 2008
Attitudes to leisure centres, by use of leisure centres
Figure 45: Attitudes towards public leisure centres, by use of public leisure centres, January 2008
Attitudes to leisure centres, by other attitudes
Figure 46: Attitudes towards public leisure centres, by most popular other attitudes towards public leisure centres, January 2008
Figure 47: Attitudes towards public leisure centres, bynext most popular other attitudes towards public leisure centres, January 2008
APPENDIX – CONSUMER USAGE ENTICEMENTS
Combinations of factors that would improve the appeal of leisure centres
Figure 48: Most popular combinations of things that would improve the appeal of public leisure centres, January 2008
Figure 49: Next most popular combinations of things that would improve the appeal of public leisure centres, January 2008
Factors that would improve the appeal of leisure centres – detailed demographics
Figure 50: Most popular things that would improve the appeal of public leisure centres, by demographic sub-group, January 2008
Figure 51: Next most popular things that would improve the appeal of public leisure centres, by demographic sub-group, January 2008
Factors that would improve the appeal of leisure centres, by attitudes
Figure 52: Things that would improve the appeal of public leisure centres, by most popular attitudes towards public leisure centres, January 2008
Figure 53: Things that would improve the appeal of public leisure centres, by next most popular attitudes towards public leisure centres, January 2008
APPENDIX – LEISURE CENTRE TARGETING OPPORTUNITIES
Target groups – detailed demographics
Figure 54: Leisure centre target groups, by demogrpahic sub-group, January 2008
Usage, by target groups
Figure 55: Use of public leisure centres, by leisure centre target groups, January 2008
Factors that would improve the appeal of leisure centres, by target groups
Figure 56: Things that would improve the appeal of public leisure centres, by leisure centre target groups, January 2008

This report is supplied in accordance with Mintel's terms and conditions.  
© Mintel Group Ltd.