Why Singapore’s Big-Box Gyms Are Struggling as More People Exercise

More Singaporeans are exercising, but that does not mean they need a conventional gym membership. For mid-market, big-box operators, the challenge is to fill and maintain expensive premises when customers can choose cheaper gyms, specialist classes or workouts closer to home. 14

Competition at both ends of the market

Budget 24-hour chains compete on price and convenient access. Boutique studios offer a different reason to pay: specialised training and a stronger sense of community. That leaves a broad, moderately priced gym with a difficult question to answer: why should someone choose it over either alternative? 110

Exercise no longer has to happen in one gym

Home and online workouts, condominium gyms and public facilities give people more ways to fit exercise into their schedules. These options are not perfect substitutes—public gyms can have queues for machines, while residential facilities may have limited equipment—but their price or proximity can make an additional membership less appealing. 16

The distinction matters: rising participation measures how many people exercise, not how many will pay for a large private gym. Customers can now combine several places and formats rather than rely on one club for every workout. 16

Large premises make lost members costly

A big gym must pay for space, equipment, air-conditioning, cleaning, maintenance and staff. Many of those costs remain even when membership revenue falls, making it harder to absorb weak demand or the expense of attracting new customers. 4

True Fitness and True Yoga’s closure of their Singapore outlets in September 2026 illustrates the pressure, though no single closure proves that every big-box gym will struggle. Their parent company cited intensifying competition and rising customer-acquisition costs, pointing in particular to boutique studios, residential gyms and online fitness options. 56

What gyms need to offer now

A conventional gym can still give customers reasons to join: accessible equipment, convenient locations, useful classes and coaching. But those benefits need to be compelling against both low-cost access and specialised experiences. Flexible ways to use a club may also better suit people who already exercise in several places. That is a strategic implication of the changing choices available to customers, not a guarantee that any one membership model will succeed. 110