FIA to study retention and attrition

The Fitness Industry Association (FIA) is to conduct the largest study of its kind in the UK to reveal the key reasons why people join and leave health clubs. The Retention and Attrition study will be subject of the FIA's annual research project and follows on from the organisation's 1999 survey Why People Quit? and last year's Why People Don't Join studies. The study will examine members' activities from the commencement of their membership to the time of leaving, with an indepth examination into the two clubs with the highest retention rates as well as the two with the lowest. FIA executive director, Nigel Wallace, says the depth of the study is unparalleled: This project will be the largest study of its kind ever undertaken in the UK, and to the best of our knowledge, the world. We aim to review the usage patterns of up to 100,000 members of FIA health and fitness clubs and leisure centres. We fully expect these results to form an invaluable base for the development of future retention strategies for our members. The findings will be analysed by the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and the results will be unveiled at this year's Leisure Industry Week in October, the FIA's official show.