ABC Fitness Solutions (ABC), the leading technology and related services provider for the fitness industry, is making its next-generation club management solution, ABC IGNITE, available to club operators of all sizes. ABC is also excited to announce that its industry data shows club membership levels have returned to pre-pandemic numbers.
According to ABC’s data of over 16,000 club locations, Q1 2022 has seen a measurable shift in the fitness industry. New membership joins are up 14% from Q1 2021, and equally encouraging is the fact they are up 7% when compared to Q1 2019. Member attendance and check-ins are also up 32% and are currently higher than pre-pandemic levels. At the same time, membership cancellations are down 13% and membership freezes are down 37% when comparing Q1 2022 to Q1 2021 and represents another clear sign the industry is rebounding stronger than ever.
As industry activity increases, ABC IGNITE is available to help clubs take advantage of the renewed and increasing opportunities. “The reaction from early adopters of ABC IGNITE has been overwhelmingly positive, with most astonished at its simplicity and the insights it brings,” said Bill Davis, CEO of ABC Fitness Solutions. “Our team worked extensively to create a software suite that is both intuitive to use and powerful to deploy. It is purposely designed to meet the needs of the fitness industry as it enters a new phase where member engagement, actionable insights, and flexibility are crucial to success. With ABC IGNITE we have evolved our core competencies that the industry has relied on for 40 years to help club operators thrive as the industry comes roaring back from the difficulties of the past two years.”
Three years in development, ABC IGNITE is the culmination of extensive dialogue with the industry and ABC customers, a complete review of ABC’s current system and services, and a multi-million dollar business acquisition strategy that integrated best in class global solutions and companies within the ABC Family. In July 2020, ABC acquired GymSales, a leading international provider of fitness sales management tools bringing sophisticated CRM expertise. In September 2020, ABC acquired Trainerize, to accelerate capabilities to power mobile fitness solutions and trainer engagement. Most recently, advanced business analytic capabilities were added to the ABC arsenal with the acquisition of Fitness BI, a proven Data Warehouse-as-a-Service platform providing advanced business intelligence and reporting. All three products have been integrated as part of IGNITE.
As ABC IGNITE rolls out across the entire industry, it marks the start of ABC’s continued commitment to investment, which will see a further $100+m invested in innovation over the next three years. Integrating and leveraging the expert knowledge and advanced technology capabilities from these acquisitions as well as ABC’s existing technology infrastructure has allowed the company to develop the most flexible club management platform the industry has seen to date.
From member management and engagement, new member sales performance, staff utilization, billing, and reporting, ABC IGNITE provides actionable insights that allow club owners to make smarter choices to more efficiently and effectively run their businesses. By removing the technological complexities and reducing their total cost of ownership, club operators can concentrate on initiatives such as enhancing member experiences and improving staff welfare. A fitness industry veteran and trendsetter, Gold’s Gym SoCal’s CFO Paul Becker, believes IGNITE is ultimately about focusing on what matters most, the members. “IGNITE is truly a leap forward, it will give our staff what they need to engage with members from the moment they walk in our clubs.”
ABC will be upgrading our existing customers to ABC IGNITE at no additional cost. The feedback related to upgrades so far have been positive. “The upgrade went as smoothly as possible,” raved Jon Aschermann, owner of 121 Fitness in Decatur, IL. Another customer from Foust Family Fitness, Lisa Stooksbury, also raved that “the overnight upgrade was seamless. Our team was trained over a few sessions and was able to check-in new members and process new payments in a very short amount of time.”
Today, the average club operator uses 6-8 disparate software applications to run their club. Making these solutions work together is complex, time-consuming, and largely inefficient, particularly when factoring in the higher-than-average employee turnover rates seen within the fitness industry. ABC IGNITE dramatically simplifies this process with a single integrated solution that saves time while reducing the total cost of technology ownership.
About ABC Fitness Solutions
ABC Fitness Solutions (abcfitness.com) is the premier provider of software and related services for the health and fitness industry. Building on a reputation for excellence in support for clubs and their members, ABC is the trusted provider to boost performance and create a Total Fitness Experience for members of clubs of all sizes, whether a national franchise, regional chain or a local gym. Founded in 1981, ABC helps nearly 16,000 clubs and facilities in 116 countries perform better and more profitably, offering a comprehensive SaaS club management solution that enables club operators to achieve optimal performance. ABC Fitness Solutions is a Thoma Bravo portfolio company, a private equity firm focused on investing in software and technology companies (thomabravo.com).
Disclaimer:
The information contained in this article is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as a health advice. We would ask you to consult a qualified professional or medical expert to gain additional knowledge before you choose to consume any product or perform any exercise.
