Gyms focus on "vibes" to drive growth in 2025, new Chatmeter report finds

EōS Fitness, Snap Fitness and Crunch Fitness ranked top gyms based on an AI-powered analysis of customer feedback

SAN DIEGO, Jan. 8, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Chatmeter, the leader in multi-location customer intelligence, today released its 2025 Gym Reputation Ranking Report, which used AI to analyze the ten largest fitness chains in the US based on customer reviews.

EōS Fitness was the customer favorite, followed by Snap Fitness and Crunch Fitness–with reviews focusing on a gym's vibe up 35.6% year-over-year (YoY). Consumers praised these gyms for their welcoming atmospheres, great customer service and cleanliness.

"Gyms who are listening to customers across every channel are going to win in 2025," said John Mazur, CEO of Chatmeter. "This is the year that brands who invest in true customer intelligence will stand out to their customers. Gyms have the data, and with AI, they can really start to listen to their customers and make the right changes in 2025."

The report's key findings include:

• Price is the #1 factor for consumers joining a gym. In a survey, most consumers (62%) said they believe gyms are overpriced, and 54% are not willing to pay more than $19.99/month for a membership. Nearly one in three (30%) said a price increase would inspire them to cancel their membership.
• Consumers love a positive, supporting and welcoming atmosphere at the gym. Mentions of a gym's atmosphere being "welcoming" in reviews were up 24.7% YoY, while mentions that gyms were "busy" and "crowded" decreased 22.1% and 30.6%, respectively. Nearly one in five consumers surveyed (19%) said they would cancel their membership if it were too crowded.
• Staff make or break the experience. Around one in seven (13.8%) gym reviews mentioned that staff were friendly and one in ten (10.6%) mentioned they were helpful in 2024. This is important since nearly one in ten surveyed (9%) said they would cancel a gym membership over poor customer service.
• Cleanliness is a baseline requirement. The top gyms of 2024 were repeatedly praised for their clean facilities, demonstrating that this remains a top priority for consumers–and gyms are listening. Reviews mentioning the word "dirty" decreased by 13.3% YoY, implying that gyms are dedicating enough resources to make their facilities sparkle. Consumers surveyed ranked cleanliness as the third most influential factor in joining a gym, behind price and convenience. More than a quarter (29%) would cancel a membership over dirty facilities.
  • Two in five consumers surveyed (41%) admitted they don't always wipe down their equipment after use–and only 8% believe others always do, reinforcing the importance of gyms maintaining cleanliness proactively.
• Gen Z and Millennials want 24/7 access, space… and selfies. In a survey, nearly two thirds of Gen Z (64%) and Millennials (66%) said 24/7 access would make them likely to join a gym or remain a member of their current gym. Around two in five (41% of Millennials and 39% of Gen Z) want open space to create their own workout. Additionally, most Gen Z consumers (56%) and 40% of Millennials report they have taken a photo or video of themselves at the gym–compared to just 4% of Baby Boomers.
• Older generations opt for trial passes, in-person tours while Gen Z relies on social media to inform gym decisions.
  • 64% of consumers surveyed want a free trial or day pass
  • 47% read online reviews from customers
  • 44% go on a tour
  • 28% consult social media–including a whopping 55% of Gen Z.

Chatmeter used its AI-powered sentiment analysis tool, Pulse Ai: Signals, to analyze 85,000 Google Reviews across the 10 of the largest gym chains in the US to inform the rankings. Additionally, Chatmeter surveyed 1,059 consumers from January 3 to 5, 2025. Download the full report here.

About Chatmeter 
Chatmeter is the multi-location intelligence company reimagining customer connections and reputation management through AI-powered deep listening. Chatmeter makes it easy for multi-location brands to drive real-time impact through relevant insights in critical moments that matter. Chatmeter understands the challenges of multi-location, and omnichannel reputation management, and has created a scaled platform that enables end-to-end visibility for everyone, from local owners to executive leadership. With a 93% customer retention rate, Chatmeter is the brand reputation partner of choice across the retail, restaurant, healthcare, and financial services industries, and more. For more information, visit www.chatmeter.com/ 

SOURCE Chatmeter Inc