China’s fitness enthusiasts exercise caution as they look to make their yuan go a long way

“A lot of people are just not spending like they used to,” said Dengle, co-founder of exeQute, a class-based fitness centre located in downtown Shanghai. “Before our most popular membership was a three-month membership. This month, we sold only one three-month membership, with the most popular being flexible credits on smaller packages.”

Still, China’s fitness market is expected to continue growing as consumers are paying increasing attention to health and fitness. New fitness models are emerging all the time, including group class boutique studios and private teaching studios. The fitness industry is expected to cross 100 billion yuan in 2026 (US$13.8 billion), compared with 70.6 billion in 2021, according to Statista.

Apps like ClassPass also offer competitive sales for price-conscious consumers, making the price per class even cheaper for users than going directly to the retailer.

“I thought customers were price-sensitive, but now I have realised that they are just not spending,” said Dengle, who believes the wave of shutdowns of prominent fitness franchises in China during the Covid-19 pandemic has weakened trust between consumers and fitness centres.

Tera Wellness, once a dominant player, shut down its operations in Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou in May 2023 after declaring bankruptcy. At the time, several aggrieved trainers took to social media, claiming the company had failed to pay wages and rent, while customers were left fuming as their membership fees were not refunded.

Other franchises like SpaceCycle and Physical also shut down several branches across China in the past year, causing an uproar among consumers who had to forfeit their deposits.

Raphael Coelho, the managing partner at X-Sigma Partners, an accelerator focused on scaling up retail brands in fitness, pet care, and food and drink, said consumers in China are looking for community-oriented gyms.

“We saw this trend globally, of people wanting to go to boutique fitness studios,” said Coelho, and while China is going through a slower economic transition, only niche concepts with strong business strategy can survive.

“There may be a lot of reasons why a concept fails,” he said. “You can’t just blame it on the economy. “It may be the business model, or the structure may have always had a problem to begin with.”

A slow market means only the best businesses will thrive and grow, he added.

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One of the rare successes in China’s wellness industry is MYBarre, which opened its first gym in Shanghai in 2016.

MYBarre gym is popular with women, as it incorporates ballet, full body workout, sculpting, toning, strengthening and flexibility.

Siri Nordhejm, co-founder of MYBarre, says they were lucky to make it through the pandemic, mainly because most of her customers were Shanghai residents and not foreigners, who left the city in droves during the pandemic.

Consumers are more price-conscious and looking for the best value for money, Nordhejm said. The shift in attitude forced Nordhejm and her business partners to rethink the way they offered memberships to customers.

“We don’t lock people in the system which, I think, is definitely the way to make consumers feel happy,” said Nordhejm. They can try it for the experience and do not have to opt for any long-term contracts, she added.

“If you really have a great product, a great experience, I don’t think people mind actually spending the money,” she said.