When I started in the industry, big-box clubs were the benchmark of ambition. Businesses like David Lloyd set the standard with everything under one roof: tennis, gym, squash, studio classes, spa and café. For years, that full lifestyle package was the model we all looked up to.

Then the market shifted. Individual functions broke away into specialist facilities: Pilates studios, EMS studios, PT-only spaces and countless boutique concepts. Smaller, more focused, more efficient. Consumers wanted expertise, and the industry responded.

A New Phase: Partnership

Now we’re entering a new phase, driven not just by consumer behaviour but by opportunity. The rise of padel in particular has highlighted something important: many operators no longer want to build every service themselves. Instead, they’re creating partnerships with businesses that complement, enhance and diversify what they already offer.

This time the opportunity is different. Club owners don’t need to take on all the financial risk or become experts in every discipline. Strategic partnerships let both businesses thrive.

In the US, this model is growing fast, with multiple wellness brands sharing one building: yoga next to recovery, Pilates next to nutrition clinics, complementary brands side by side to maximise shared traffic and audiences.

The UK is starting to follow. Gyms are opening spare capacity to padel providers, and it makes complete sense. Clubs have rented rooms to physios, sports therapists, beauticians, osteopaths and massage therapists for years. Why not extend that into broader wellness and performance services?

The Benefits

• New customer bases
• New revenue streams
• Lower risk
• Shared marketing
• Greater visibility on site
• A broader ecosystem for members to engage with

This isn’t about gyms trying to do everything. It’s about working with entrepreneurs who bring expertise the club doesn’t need to build from scratch. Collaboration gives consumers more reasons to visit, stay, engage and spend. Rather than competing for every pound, brands can work together to reduce risk and expand reach.

The Challenge: Awareness

We need better ways to highlight partnership opportunities and bring entrepreneurs together. Many wellness operators would flourish inside or alongside an established gym, and many gyms would benefit from a specialist partner bringing something new to the site.

Potential collaborations include padel, Pilates, specialist studio rentals, pre- and post-natal services, climbing, cycling studios, EMS, medical services, nutrition and food, coffee shops and more, and the list keeps growing as wellness expands.

Clubs don’t need to be a jack of all trades. The future may simply be collaboration, co-location and smarter marketing of shared opportunities. The next evolution of the fitness sector won’t be defined by who owns the most services. It’ll be defined by who partners the smartest.

Want help putting this into practice in your gym? Black Raccoon Consulting are gym and fitness business consultants with over 25 years’ industry experience in sales, marketing, member retention and operations. Book your free 45-minute business call or explore our services.

Ryan Charlesworth, Founder, Black Raccoon Consulting