Gym, Health & Fitness Clubs in the US Industry Market Research Report Now Available from IBISWorld
Posted: August 1, 2012 at 11:14 am
Los Angeles, CA (PRWEB) August 01, 2012
The Gym, Health and Fitness Clubs industry has benefited from the array of marketing campaigns and ensuing consumer trends for fighting obesity and improving health. Gym membership numbers have increased considerably over the past 10 years, rising from 36.3 million in 2002 to more than 43.6 million by 2012. According to IBISWorld industry analyst Dale Schmidt, "this trend is the result of soaring demand for fitness activities, and industry operators have capitalized on this growth by expanding establishments in both size and number." In addition, the industry has diversified some with the rise of small-scale gyms and female-oriented gyms, which have expanded its customer base.
However, the industry has not been recession-proof. In 2008 and 2009, demand for gyms and health clubs weakened as consumers cut back on discretionary spending. Still, compared with other industries, the Gym, Health and Fitness Clubs industry has remained remarkably resilient, as increased leisure time and boosts in health and morale from exercise have kept the industry highly competitive. Gyms and health clubs have broadened their markets in a bid to retain membership numbers throughout the recession's aftermath. "Due to their lower cost, the downturn has also favored the growth of small-budget gyms with fewer amenities over more expensive, all-inclusive clubs," says Schmidt. Consequently, this industry has a low level of market share concentration, with the top four firms in this industry accounting for a relatively small portion of sales. The concentration remains low because of the large number of centers that only employ one person or are nonemploying establishments. The larger players in this industry, such as 24 Hour Fitness, Ballys Total Fitness and Curves International have numerous locations throughout the United States, while small players are generally operate in one or two states. Over the past five years, concentration has increased as a result of larger firms continuing to expand operations to improve economies of scale and enter new markets.
Over the next five years, the industry will benefit from increased youth and baby-boomer memberships, which will boster the industrys revenue. Firms will profit from the public's growing interest in staying fit as well as the rising obesity rate, and membership growth will continue to outpace population growth. As consumers' income grows in line with the recovering economy, the industry will transition back toward larger and all-inclusive clubs. With total health club memberships expected to rise at a healthy rate over the next five years, players will capitalize on this growth and provide members with additional services in a bid to increase registration and retention rates. For more information, visit IBISWorlds Gym, Health & Fitness Clubs in the US industry report page.
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IBISWorld industry Report Key Topics
This industry operates fitness and recreational sports facilities that feature exercise and other active physical fitness conditioning or recreational sports activities, such as swimming, skating or racquet sports. Firms are also involved in facilities management and fitness instruction.
Industry Performance Executive Summary Key External Drivers Current Performance Industry Outlook Industry Life Cycle Products & Markets Supply Chain Products & Services Major Markets Globalization & Trade Business Locations Competitive Landscape Market Share Concentration Key Success Factors Cost Structure Benchmarks Barriers to Entry Major Companies Operating Conditions Capital Intensity Key Statistics Industry Data Annual Change Key Ratios
About IBISWorld Inc. Recognized as the nations most trusted independent source of industry and market research, IBISWorld offers a comprehensive database of unique information and analysis on every US industry. With an extensive online portfolio, valued for its depth and scope, the company equips clients with the insight necessary to make better business decisions. Headquartered in Los Angeles, IBISWorld serves a range of business, professional service and government organizations through more than 10 locations worldwide. For more information, visit http://www.ibisworld.com or call 1-800-330-3772.
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Gym, Health & Fitness Clubs in the US Industry Market Research Report Now Available from IBISWorld
Healthways to Provide Prime Fitness Program to Novitas Solutions and First Coast Service Options Employees
Posted: at 11:14 am
NASHVILLE, Tenn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--
Healthways (HWAY) announced effective July 1, it is providing the Prime Fitness program to Novitas Solutions (formerly Highmark Medicare Services) of Camp Hill, Pa. and First Coast Service Options (FCSO) of Jacksonville, Fla. Both companies will provide Prime Fitness to their employees in all locations as a company-paid benefit as part of their commitment to enhancing employees health and well-being. The program promotes the benefits of physical activity with a combination of convenient access to facilities and motivational support.
Healthways Prime Fitness members have full access to more than 8,000 fitness centers nationwide, providing a variety of class, equipment and location options. Members also have access to an online portal that provides resources to locate participating centers, create fitness plans and set and track goals. Telephonic customer service support is also provided.
Regular physical activity prevents and controls health issues that influence healthcare costs and productivity. Research has shown that increasing physical activity from 0-1 times per week to more than 3 times per week decreased medical costs by $2,202 per year per person1.
By offering Prime Fitness to their employees, Novitas and FCSO are demonstrating their commitment to enhancing their well-being, while at the same time addressing rising healthcare costs, said Healthways president and chief executive officer Ben R. Leedle, Jr. By making fitness convenient, accessible and engaging, Prime Fitness gives members every incentive to participant in a program that is both highly rewarding and enjoyable.
Prime Fitness engagement specialists will work closely with Novitas and FCSO employees to create strategic, tailored campaigns that encourage ongoing participation in their programs. Aggregate reporting of member enrollment and use will guide the employee communication and programming strategy.
About Healthways
Healthways (HWAY) is the largest independent global provider of well-being improvement solutions. Dedicated to creating a healthier world one person at a time, the Company uses the science of behavior change to produce and measure positive change in well-being for our customers, which include employers, integrated health systems, hospitals, physicians, health plans, communities and government entities. We provide highly specific and personalized support for each individual and their team of experts to optimize each participants health and productivity and to reduce health-related costs. Results are achieved by addressing longitudinal health risks and care needs of everyone in a given population. The Company has scaled its proprietary technology infrastructure and delivery capabilities developed over 30 years and now serves approximately 40 million people on four continents. Learn more at http://www.healthways.com.
1 Cross, M. Spend Money on Healthy People. Managed Care. August 2004. Available at http://www.managedcaremag.com/archives/0408/0408.wellpeople.html.
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Healthways to Provide Prime Fitness Program to Novitas Solutions and First Coast Service Options Employees
Relevancy of balanced portfolios: Retirement planner Jeff Vogan Mesa Tucson Arizona – Video
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Relevancy of balanced portfolios: Retirement planner Jeff Vogan Mesa Tucson Arizona - Video
Personal Care unit dents Rexam
Posted: at 11:14 am
LONDON (SHARECAST) - Global consumer packing company Rexam posted a three per cent like-for-like rise in sales during the first half of the year, pushed higher by a six per cent increase in the total number of beverage cans volumes.
Revenue for the year came in at 2,165m, compared to 2,095m the same half the previous year, with underlying pre-tax profit at 207m (H1 2011: 204m) and underlying earnings per share up from 16.7p to 17.1p.
The group recently announced its intention to sell its loss-making Personal Care division; with this division included, underlying profit before tax was 225m.
However, it was by no means all good news as statutory pre-tax profit fell from 192m to 166m and the firm turned in a post-tax loss for the period at 52m, compared to a profit of 132m the previous year, as its Personal Care division put a 171m dent in the bottom line. Total basic losses for the period were 6p compared to earnings of 15.1p the same period in 2011.
Underlying operating profit from continuing operations improved 2.0%, in spite of a number of headwinds including higher aluminium conversion and labour costs.
As at June 30th, net debt was 1.35bn, compared to 1.3bn at the end of 2011.
In Europe, utilisation improved as a result of higher volumes and in North America it increased as the firm started to recover volumes lost in 2011. There was also better utilisation in South America as market growth resumed and it started to recover some of the market share lost to additional competitor capacity last year.
The firm said: "Beverage Cans traded well with the global growth of speciality cans and the performance of the North American business overcoming cost headwinds. As indicated previously, we had some specific challenges in Healthcare.
"In an increasingly uncertain macroeconomic environment, we will continue to focus on generating cash, managing costs and return on capital employed for the rest of 2012. Our progress to date gives us confidence of achieving our 15% return on capital employed target by the end of 2013."
Half year sales for Beverage Cans rose 1,871m to 1,946m year-on-year, with underlying operating profit up from 212m to 226m, driven by good volume growth in speciality cans, better than predicted volume recovery in North America, and continued delivery of efficiencies related to down-gauging and light-weighting. The return on sales increased from 11.3% to 11.6% and the return on net assets increased from 29% to 32%.
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Personal Care unit dents Rexam
Hernandez: I would swap all of my goals for another title with Manchester United
Posted: at 11:13 am
Manchester United striker Javier Hernandez has insisted that he would swap all of his goals for another Premier League title.
'Chicharito' has struck 32 times in all competitions in his first two seasons at Old Trafford, but claims that he does not set personal targets and focuses solely on helping the team win matches in whatever way he can. The Mexico international added that he does not want to be seen as a player who had played badly if he has failed to score instead hoping people recognise his all-round contribution.
"I've never had a goal target," Hernandez told Inside United magazine. "I don't want to be obsessed with scoring goals, I don't want to be only that player who only scores goals, and if I score goals I've played well and if I didn't score goals I played badly.
"It's more about doing my best for the team - if the goals come then great, but if someone else scores instead of me then it's still great for the United fans and for the club.
"You can never play one man against 11, and one player can never score all the goals by himself. If the goals are coming then good, but as I've always said, I would swap every one of my goals for a title with Manchester United."
United lost its grip on the title in dramatic fashion last season, as rival Manchester City scored twice in the dying minutes of the campaign to beat QPR and claim its first Premier League crown.
Hernandez admitted that the tables had been turned on a club that has, over the years, come back from a couple of seemingly impossible positions itself, most notably in the 1999 and 2008 Champions League finals.
"It was difficult to believe, really," Hernandez admitted. "For so many years that type of game was a fable of Manchester United, with goals in the last minute [to win big games], and sometimes it is part of life to experience the bad moments like this one.
"It was a very strange day because in the space of one minute we thought that the title was going to be ours, and then City scored twice, and that's it.
"When you win you learn to keep working hard in order to keep doing the things you did to win the title. And when you lose, you need to learn from the mistakes you made.
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Constant Contact Survey Reveals that Small Businesses Need Help Evaluating Social Media Marketing Success
Posted: at 11:13 am
LONDON--(BUSINESSWIRE)-- A new survey from online marketing tools provider Constant Contact, Inc. (NASDAQ:CTCT - News) indicates a strong disconnect between British small businesses perception of social media marketing success and the reality.
Among the one quarter (24 per cent) of British small business decision makers surveyed that report using Facebook to market their organisation, more than a third (37 per cent) say they dont think it has helped their business in any way, and only one fifth (21 per cent) believe they are doing a great job using Facebook to market their business. The data reveals several misconceptions that help to explain these attitudes, and shows that small businesses are actually doing a better job than they think.
"We were surprised to see the misconceptions that many British small businesses have about what social media marketing success looks like - especially when their own results show they are doing a fantastic job using Facebook to drive customer engagement, find new customers and generate repeat sales," explained Annette Iafrate, UK managing director at Constant Contact.
Small businesses use Engagement Marketing without knowing it
In looking at the how small businesses are using Facebook to market their organisation, the survey revealed a major misconception around engagement, demonstrating that Britains small businesses simply arent familiar enough with Engagement Marketing to recognise when they are doing it. In fact, nearly a third (32 per cent) of decision makers whose small businesses use Facebook say they dont know how they engage with Facebook fans, yet they also report employing a variety of engagement tactics on their Facebook pages.
Of those whose organisations use Facebook in some way:
The great news here is that British small businesses are using Engagement Marketing to their benefit without even realising it, said Iafrate. Engagement isnt complicated, nor does it have to be costly. Responding to fans, asking questions, and Like-gating content or offers are all great ways to boost interaction with your fans. The best part for time-starved small businesses is that doing these things takes just a few minutes a day.
Small businesses overestimate whats needed for success
The survey also revealed a huge misconception around evaluating the success of engagement tactics. Of those willing to hazard a guess, a fifth of respondents whose small business use Facebook (23 per cent) believe success equates to achieving more than 500 shares, comments or Likes on a single post. In reality, it takes far less to find success, and more than half (52 per cent) of respondents who reported knowing how many Likes, shares, or comments their posts usually get are achieving fantastic results for their business by generating up to ten Likes, shares or comments on each Facebook Business page post.
From talking to small businesses every day, we know that engagement typically happens in small doses and over time, noted Iafrate. When it comes to small businesses and social media marketing, small really is huge. Just one or two shares can put your content in front of hundreds of new sets of eyeballs.
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Constant Contact Survey Reveals that Small Businesses Need Help Evaluating Social Media Marketing Success
Nucor Selects My Creative Team For Employee Development Website Project
Posted: at 11:12 am
HUNTERSVILLE, N.C., Aug. 1, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --Nucor Corporation selected My Creative Team to design and build a website focused on employee development. The privacy-protected website allows employees to set personal and business goals, for which they are presented classes, events and resources that will help them achieve their goals. Additionally, employees can select mentors, peers or supervisors to receive automated emails, keeping them apprised of goal achievement.
"My Creative Team is just what the name suggests; a team dedicated to helping us find and execute on innovative solutions that are tailored to our needs," says Josh Wall, Leadership Development Manager at Nucor. "We have seen other agencies come and go, but we have a long-term partnership with MCT because they understand the value of relationships and results."
Headquartered in Charlotte, N.C., Nucor makes more steel in America than any other company. Nucor and affiliates are manufacturers of steel products, with operating facilities primarily in the U.S. and Canada. Products produced include: carbon and alloy steel -- in bars, beams, sheet and plate; steel joists and joist girders; steel deck; fabricated concrete reinforcing steel; cold finished steel; steel fasteners; metal building systems; light gauge steel framing; steel grating and expanded metal; and wire and wire mesh. Nucor also brokers ferrous and nonferrous metals, pig iron and HBI/DRI; supplies ferro-alloys; and processes ferrous and nonferrous scrap. Nucor is North America's largest recycler.
My Creative Team, http://www.My-CreativeTeam.com, is a Huntersville, NC-based network of highly experienced and talented independent professionals that gives clients better work that's a better value. The ad agency delivers great work, on time and on target, and that makes the client look good.
Services include turnkey website development and promotion, presentation development, email marketing programs, pay-per-click advertising, advertising, media planning and buying, PR, and video production. Clients range from Energizer and Nucor to Momentive Performance Materials and National Gypsum.
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Nucor Selects My Creative Team For Employee Development Website Project
Online Sage 300 ERP Education Series Offered by HBM Integrated Technology
Posted: at 11:12 am
HALIFAX , Nova Scotia, Aug. 1, 2012 /CNW/ - HBM Integrated Technology Inc. (http://www.hbmintegrated.com/) announced today its " Summer School at HBM," a webinar series featuring five educational presentations for accounting, human resources and sales and marketing professionals who use Sage 300 ERP (formerly Sage ERP Accpac).
The series kicks off with the first program "Everything You Always Wanted to Know about Accpac General Ledger" on Thursday, August 9 at 1 p.m. ADT . Information and registration can be found at: http://www.hbmintegrated.com/accpac_webinars.html#summerschool.
"The series was designed to address the most frequent questions solution end users have about the software," said Garry Beattie , CMA, president of HBM Integrated Technology. "The presentations will help Sage 300 ERP users to get the most out of the aspects of the software they are currently using as well as learn where they might further the benefits of automation and reporting. All of which contributes to a greater return on investment. But more important, it allows them to offload tasks that can be automated and gain more time for more strategic business activities."
Other online presentations in the series include: * August 13 - Using Sage Intelligence to Eliminate Manual Transfer of Data from Accpac to Excel and Improve Reporting. * August 27 - Sage Summit Update. * September 6 - Using CRM in Finance to Improve Cash Flow and Customer Service. * September 20 - Using Printboss to Save Money and Improve Customer Service through Forms Management.
The events take place online, Thursdays at 1 p.m. ADT . There is no cost, but registration is required and can be completed at http://www.hbmintegrated.com/accpac_webinars.html#summerschool or by calling 902-442-3892.
About Sage 300 ERP (formerly Sage ERP Accpac):
The Sage 300 ERP system is, at core, a sophisticated accounting and operations system for small and midsized businesses. Sage 300 ERP also offers HRMS and CRM applications.
About HBM:
HBM Integrated Technology Inc. is a solution provider dedicated to improving the functional strategy of your organization. Representing clients from every facet of industry, government and academia, our consultants provide knowledge-based services and software applications, which will enable organizations to adopt new ways of doing business, and capitalize on core competencies. HBM Integrated Technology Inc. works with organizations to find the right solution to address today's challenges and maximize future potential.
Logo: Send2Press.com/mediaboom/12-0801-hbmi_72dpi.jpg
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Online Sage 300 ERP Education Series Offered by HBM Integrated Technology
Life Coach Says "Celebration Is An Expression Of Gratitude" – Episode 33 – Video
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Life Coach Says "Celebration Is An Expression Of Gratitude" - Episode 33 - Video
Life Coach
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Life Coach