Are Gen Z ditching the pub for the gym?
Gen Z are ditching the pub and instead choosing to socialise with their friends at the gym more, the boss of one of the UK’s largest chains has said.
Will Orr, the chief executive of The Gym Group, said the trend is an “incredible generational opportunity” for his company and one he is hoping to further capitalise on in the coming years.
The CEO, who leads the UK’s only London-listed gym group, made the comments on the latest episode of CityAM‘s Boardroom Uncovered podcast.
In the episode, Orr, who used to run The Times before taking on his current role in 2023, also addresses how The Gym Group is trying to differentiate itself from major rival PureGym.
In March, The Gym Group revealed its revenue had increased by 11 per cent to £226.3m in 2024 while it returned to making a pre-tax profit.
Why Gen Z are choosing the gym
When asked whether Gen Z is helping the gym become the new go-to place to meet up with friends rather than the pub, the CEO said: “I think that’s absolutely, absolutely right.”
He added: “It really excites me – when we look at these emerging generations who have a very completely different relationship to the gym than maybe, well, I had and my generation had.
“There’s a few aspects of that – what we would call fitness IQ. So they have a much more sophisticated understanding of the different aspects of physical health that a gym can give you.
“So cardio, strength, how to be strong and how to sort of look strong.
“They know how to get all those benefits in their workout in a rounded way.”
He added: “Our customers tell us that mental health is as big a reason for coming as physical health.
“The third aspect is, it’s just increasingly part of their identity. How they want to live, how they want to socialise, how they want to express themselves.
“These younger generations, they’re going to the gym because they want to, not because it’s something they think they sort of should do.
“40 per cent of our customer base is Gen Z. I think we’ve just got this incredible generational opportunity when it comes to gyms. I don’t see that kind of reversing anytime soon.”