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Call it the “boutique effect.” The environment and aesthetics of your health club have never been more under scrutiny. Boutiques now constitute as much as 42% of the U.S. health club market, according to a CBS news report, with more than 54 million members committed to these clubs.
Part of what appeals to this growing audience are the design elements of studios. In IHRSA’s Guide to the Boutique Studio Phenomenon, Bryan Dunkelberger, a principal at S3 Design, in Braintree, MA, says that the studio effect capitalizes on spatial creativity. “When we’re trying to create ‘size,’ we keep everything simple and clean,” he says.
This simplicity of an open space that’s clean and inviting creates a number of brand-positive impressions for members. A clean space says your club is well-maintained and hygienic. That’s especially true if that aesthetic is shared by your locker room and shower facilities.
How important is a clean club? According to an IHRSA report, it’s essential to member satisfaction and retention. The report found that 90% of members were more likely to renew their membership if their club maintained high standards of cleanliness.
That may seem like common sense, but the quality of janitorial services can sometimes be overlooked by club operators who have big decisions to make on equipment, marketing, employees, and fitness programming. But what good is having first-class fitness services if members avoid your club’s locker rooms or other areas of the gym because they’re not properly maintained? In fact, the IHRSA report found that lack of cleanliness can drive down nondues revenue across the board because members are repelled by dirty areas and can’t wait to leave the club.