Preparing for the Autumn Gym Spike
There are few sectors in greater health than the UK fitness industry. Though steadily growing before the pandemic, the segment has soared post-lockdown, now worth more than £2bn.
The UK has well and truly become a nation of gym goers. In fact, according to the UK Fitness Report by PureGym, by the end of 2023, 16% of all adults were signed up to a gym – which amounts to almost 11 million people.
“Last year, our research showed that living through a pandemic impacted attitudes towards our health, with 79% of the population considering their health more of a priority than it had been pre-pandemic,” the report said.
Outside of the New Year’s spike, September and October are two of the most popular months in terms of UK gym sales, as kids return to school, university begins, and people generally have more time on their hands following summer.
This provides a great opportunity for maintaining sales that often drop between the back-to-school sales period and the hype up to Christmas.
Customers are changing their goals
Customers, particularly gym-goers, are more goal-oriented than ever before. Most commonly, there are three goals when attending a gym: lose weight, build muscle or move your body.
No matter the goal, there is one common theme: health.
Retailers have noticed this and have either introduced new categories completely or added products to their shelves that meet this need.
“For gym sales, we always make sure we carry protein bars and shakes,” explains Samantha Coldbeck, owner of Wharfedale Premier in Hull. “We don’t go into the powder; we try to keep it quite convenient-focused.”
Protein is popular among gym-goers as it not only helps you feel fuller for longer but also aids muscle repair. This means shoppers can get back in the gym quickly following a tough workout and avoid injury.
It might have entered the market as a trend, but protein has now cemented itself as a permanent category in convenience stores.
If you’ve yet to start, we can help. We stock a wide range of protein bars and products that customers seek to meet the convenience protein trend. Some of these include:
- Protein Bars - From traditional bars to softer varieties and protein-enriched classic-feel chocolate bars. We have protein brands to meet a range of customer types, options include the core brand Grenade and challenger brands such as Misfits.
- Protein Shakes - Another mixed variety of options available within our protein shakes category, from classic protein shakes from uFit that can boast 50g of protein per shake, to brands offering more of a milkshake experience with a high protein content such as Barebells and Shaken Udder.
- High Protein Breakfasts - For the health-conscious consumer, Starting the day right with a high-protein breakfast is key. To meet this need, we stock brands such as Eleat, which offers a traditional cereal pot with high protein credentials, and Fuel10K, which offers granola and porridge pots with a rich protein content.
- Protein Balls and Bites - Sometimes protein intake is about staving off hunger and an easy snack on the go. This is where protein balls and bites find their place, and brands such as Vive and The Protein Ball Co satisfy this need.
- Protein Waters - Hydrating whilst getting a protein intake is a double-win for the fitness enthusiast, brands such as Warrior and WowHydrate offer such products.
The hunt for healthier alternatives
Alongside the increase in health-conscious shoppers is the rise of so-called ‘clean living’ –people are shunning processed foods and trying to find products with added benefits that are considered ‘clean’.
“We want to provide our customers with healthier alternatives to snacking, but our challenge is finding products that don’t use processed ingredients, are ethically sourced, and still taste good,” explains Priyesh Vakeria, owner of One Stop in Salford.
The retailer has begun working with new brands in his hunt to find these products, like Biotiful, which uses Kefir and Kefir Protein. The benefit of Kefir Protein is it’s naturally higher in protein, with at least 14g of protein per 130g. It also has many uses and can be used as a snack or as part of a meal.
“It uses four ingredients and has zero preservatives, so has a longer shelf life,” Vakeria adds.
Also, many ‘regular’ everyday items are naturally high in protein and shouldn’t be overlooked. This ranges from eggs, chicken, and bacon to milk and cheese, which all have high levels of protein.
While protein is popular among gym-goers, there are other products you can stock. Within water, for example, make sure to include products that contain electrolytes. Electrolytes can help with hydration which often declines after a workout. Similarly, products low in calories are ideal for gym-goers attempting to lose weight.
Encourage healthy eating through merchandising and marketing
You can help your healthy or ‘gym’ range stand out by making your displays prominent in-store. This can be through having a dedicated area to the category or adding protein-filled products to your range and using signage to help them stand out.
Consider creating signage that highlights the protein or calorie content and adding it to your shelves. This will help customers navigate your range and make the right decision based on their goals.
From here, utilise social media to reach the right customers. Create a reel or a carousel of photos highlighting your gym range, whether it be protein bars, electrolytes or even your fruit and vegetable range. In the description, let your shoppers know about any promotions and relate them to pre or post-workout nutrition.