Gym members' buying behaviors worth noting

Fitness club members remain a market many industry and non-industry companies seek exposure to. According to surveys by Mediamark and Simmons research published in January’s American Demographics magazine, the percentage of health club members (compared to the general population) who use or buy: energy bars, 5 percent (general population, 3 percent); car rentals for business, 5 percent (2 percent); premium domestic beers, 6 percent (3 percent); energy drinks, 9 percent (6 percent); bottled water/seltzer, 17 percent (12 percent); vitamins/supplements, 13 percent (10 percent); and greeting cards, 25 percent (20 percent). In addition, gym members are twice as likely as the general population to be college graduates. Race among gym members (compared to general population): white, 86 percent (general population, 83 percent); black, 9 percent (12 percent); Asian, 4 percent (4 percent); and Hispanic, 9 percent (11 percent). Household income is also higher among gym users, with 31 percent having incomes of $50,000 or higher, compared to 15 percent of the general population.