A Deloitte report has suggested that getting involved in corporate wellness programmes could offer health and fitness operators a huge opportunity for revenue growth.

The Deloitte Corporate Wellness Report is based on a study of the corporate wellness industry at a global level.

It found that 78 per cent of employers were looking to invest in physical activity programmes in the next three years and that most of the current corporate wellness programmes include initiatives focused on promoting physical activity.

Among the existing programmes, on-site fitness classes and subsidies or discounts for off-site gym memberships are most popular. In the US, 70 per cent of corporations include these practices within their wellness strategy in 2018.

Companies stated that their top three priorities for developing a wellness programme were to improve performance and productivity, improve employee engagement and morale and to attract and retain employees.

According to Concepción Iglesias, Sports Leader of Deloitte Spain – which conducted the study – the sector presents huge scope for health and fitness operators.

"A rich opportunity exists within the corporate wellness market, where companies are investing in programmes to attract and retain employees, to promote healthy and active lifestyles," she said.

"These programmes are becoming increasingly popular and valuable to many corporations.

"The fitness industry is well-positioned to serve corporate clients, resulting in a win-win partnership. Companies gain an in-demand, widely appealing wellness programme, while health clubs benefit from incremental traffic and higher revenue."

Iglesias added that, for the majority of the companies surveyed, the level of success in a physical activity programme depends directly on the engagement of employees.

"The programmes that can help provide this ROI will be very valuable to these companies," she said.

"To increase the investment in physical activities, companies interviewed prefer a higher quality service with a lower price so that employees perceive greater value and more flexibility in programmes."

The study also revealed that many operators have recognised the opportunities presented by the market.

A total of 56 per cent of the fitness operators interviewed for the survey consider corporate wellness a "big opportunity" for growth, while a further 36 per cent indicated that it will help increase their total revenues.

Commenting on the report, Eamon Lloyd, head of partnerships at corporate fitness specialist Gympass, said: “The Deloitte Corporate Wellness Report shows an overwhelming 92% of operators consider corporate wellness to be a big opportunity for growth which bears out what we know from our conversations and relationships in the leisure industry.

“However, as the report also shows, we know that many operators fail to make initial contact with key corporate clients or maintain the high-level communication required to ensure the success of such programmes.

“There is no doubt that bridging the gap between fitness operators and corporations is the route to success.

“We have found that our experience has mirrored many of the findings in the Deloitte report and operators who have yet to decide to open their doors to corporate wellness programmes should now feel very confident in doing so."

• To download and read the full report, click here.