Why Your Next Growth Strategy Starts with the Members You Already Have

Tom Wilkinson
May 18
3 min read

Most gym and fitness studio owners understand just how crucial member retention is. It’s not a new insight. But what’s often underestimated is how a small improvement in retention — when paired with the right strategy — can also unlock meaningful business growth.

That’s where the opportunity lies.

The Financial Case for Retention

Across the UK fitness industry, average annual member lapse rates hover around 40%1. That means, even with strong acquisition efforts, many studios spend significant time and money simply replacing the members they’ve lost — just to keep revenue flat.

At the same time, acquiring new members is five to seven times more expensive than keeping an existing one2. So while new leads and trials are vital, retention is the engine that powers sustainable success.

Let’s look at what just a small improvement can mean:

Example 1: Midsize Studio

300 members
£120/month average membership
Lapse rate reduced from 40% to 35%
Result: 15 more members retained = £21,600 additional annual revenue
That’s £4,320 in value for every percentage point of retention gained

Example 2: Smaller, High-Performing Studio

300 members
Lapse rate reduced from 20% to 17%
Result: 9 more members retained = £12,960 more per year

But that’s just the beginning.

Mountain Coach Founder on Tour of the Matterhorn

Retention Can Also Fuel New Member Growth

When retention strategies are thoughtfully designed, they don’t just prevent members from leaving — they actively contribute to acquisition and brand differentiation.

That’s exactly what’s happening at Elevate Fitness Studio in Winchester — a forward-thinking gym already seeing results by partnering with Mountain Coach. Not only are their members enjoying the multi-month engagement and relationship-building leading up to a bespoke adventure in the Alps, but friends and family who aren’t yet members are also involved. These guests join the trip, and can take part in the alpine conditioning days ahead of departure. This of course increases the chances of them ultimately becoming fully-fledged members themselves.

With Mountain Coach, studios like Elevate also benefit from:

Branded content created throughout the journey — including high-quality drone footage, video highlights from the Alps, and professionally produced media from training days. This is co-branded with the studio’s identity and supplied ready-to-use across its own channels.
Organic member content — participants sharing photos, stories, and videos on their personal social media accounts, creating authentic peer-to-peer marketing.
A surge of word-of-mouth momentum as returning adventurers spread the excitement within the local community.

This makes the Mountain Coach partnership not just a retention programme, but a full growth flywheel.

Short-Term Challenges Are Good. Long-Term Connection Is Better.

Retention doesn’t hinge on any single strategy. Six-week challenges, events, and rewards schemes all have their place and can create valuable spikes in engagement.

But long-term loyalty comes from something deeper: relationships.

The Harvard Study of Adult Development, one of the longest-running studies on human wellbeing, found that the quality of our social connections is the strongest predictor of happiness and longevity3. When your members feel connected — to each other, to your coaches, and to shared experiences — they stay.

Mountain Coach is designed to support this kind of connection — not just once, but across a full 9-month engagement journey.

The Mountain Coach 9-Month Partnership Journey

This isn’t a one-off trip. It’s a year-round system that builds anticipation, engagement, and connection from start to finish — and then starts again.

Here’s how it works:

Kick-Off Planning

We align the adventure with your community's interests, fitness levels, and goals.

Excitement & Content

Mountain Coach supplies all promotional materials — branded videos, posters, social media posts, and more — to create buzz.

Trip Shaping

Members vote on format, duration, challenge level, and timing via a short interactive survey.

Commitment Day

A sign-up moment with a dedicated booking page. Members commit with a deposit and receive welcome packs.

Adventure Group Chat

A WhatsApp group brings members together to ask questions, get equipment tips, share training plans, and bond — with your studio rep actively involved.

UK Conditioning Day

A guided hike in the UK builds confidence and connection before departure.

The Adventure Itself

A multi-day, life-changing Alpine experience designed around your group — and captured on film.

Return & Relaunch

Branded footage and member testimonials are delivered to your studio to support the next wave of promotion — closing the loop and beginning again.

Build Loyalty. Attract New Members. Elevate Your Brand.

Improving retention by just a few percentage points is powerful. But combining that with brand-building experiences, member-driven content, and authentic community connection? That’s transformational.

That’s what Mountain Coach delivers.

Discover how the 9-month journey could work for your studio:

👉 Explore the full process

Footnotes