经济学人237:健身产业 降低成本运作

 　　The fitness industry

　　健身产业

　　It works out cheaper

　　降低成本运作

　　Cut-price gyms are seizing a growing share of a stagnant¹ market

　　减价的健身房在萧条的市场中的份额日益增加

　　Bulk discount

　　批量折扣

　　GETTING out of a pricey monthly gym membership has traditionally been as hard as squeezing into lycra after the Christmas break.

　　摆脱昂贵的月制健身房会员身份从传统意义上来说就如圣诞节假期后挤入莱卡那样难

　　But at Fitness4Less, a low-cost gym in east London, membership is more flexible. Customers pay 15.99a month and can leave at any point. Like cut-price airlines and supermarkets, budget gyms are muscling in on the market.

　　但是在伦敦东部的一个低成本健身房Fitness4Less里，会员制度更为灵活。客户只需每月缴纳15.99英镑，并且可以在任何时候终止会员关系。就像廉价航空和打折超市那样，廉价健身房也打算在市场中分得一杯羹。

　　健身产业.jpg

　　Their rise reflects the recent shakiness of Britain’s economy. Although budget chains constitute only 8% of the revenue, they now account for 21% of all fitness-club members. Low-cost gyms boast around 5,000 members per club compared with an industry average of about 1,900, according to Mintel, a consultancy. Such high numbers help keep membership cheap. Many accommodate such large numbers by opening 24 hours a day. That is appealing to the growing numbers of Britons doing shift work.

　　廉价健身房的崛起反应了英国经济近期的局势动荡。虽然廉价连锁店的收入只占了8%，但是它们占到健身俱乐部会员人数的21%。与咨询公司Mintel作出1900名会员的平均水平相比，低成本的健身房宣称其每间俱乐部都有大约5000名会员。如此高的数字有助于会员制价格保持低廉。如此庞大的会员量要依靠24小时营业来分流。这也就吸引越来越多的英国人来做轮班。

　　Membership turnover² is high, too, but two-thirds of those who leave Fitness4Less come back, says Emma Edwards, one of its owners. Budget gyms are growing faster than any other part of the sector³; roughly 200% since 2011. Pure Gym, a low-cost chain, has opened 75 clubs since 2009. Fitness First, a mid-range chain where monthly membership can cost 70, only has 75 clubs now, down from 150 in 2007.

　　会员制下的人员流动率也很高，但是有三分之二的顾客在离开Fitness4Less之后，都会再次回归它的怀抱，健身房老板之一艾玛·爱德华兹如是说。廉价健身房的数量的增长速度要完爆业界其他部分好几条大街：自2011年以来，差不多增长了200%。Pure Gym，一个低成本的连锁健身房，自2009年以来已经开了75家。而会员费为70英镑的Fitness First，一家中等规模的连锁健身房，从2007年的150家连锁跌至目前仅剩的75家。

　　Budget-gym bunnies scan their fingerprints⁴ or use personal ID numbers to gain access. That cuts spending on costly⁵ membership cards and receptionists. There are few frills, such as saunas and cafes. Up to 70% of the machines at The Gym, another fast-growing chain, use no electricity, reducing overheads. No contracts mean no salaries or commissions for salespeople⁶.

　　廉价健身房的会员通过扫描指纹或者使用个人ID号进入健身房。此举削减了昂贵的会员卡与接待员开支，例如桑拿浴室和咖啡厅等多余装饰，在健身房内很少见到。健身房内70%的空间都是健身的机器。而另一项急速增长的产业链就是不使用电能，这样可以减少开支。没有合同就意味着没有付给销售人员的佣金或者工资。

　　Other cheap ways to keep fit are thriving too, from online classes to low-cost mobile fitness apps. Fancy gyms—where single classes can cost more than a monthly budget gym membership–are also flourishing. It is just the flabby middle that is being squeezed.

　　从网上课程到低成本的移动健身应用程序，使用其他廉价方式来保持身材的方法现在也十分流行。花哨的健身房-----在那里一个单独的课程的花费可以超过廉价健身房每月的会员费---生意也同样蒸蒸日上。这种单独课程的花费只不过是健身零碎花费的集中体现。

1 stagnant   

adj.不流动的，停滞的，不景气的

参考例句：

• Due to low investment,industrial output has remained stagnant.由于投资少，工业生产一直停滞不前。
• Their national economy is stagnant.他们的国家经济停滞不前。

2 turnover   

n.人员流动率，人事变动率；营业额，成交量

参考例句：

• The store greatly reduced the prices to make a quick turnover.这家商店实行大减价以迅速周转资金。
• Our turnover actually increased last year.去年我们的营业额竟然增加了。

3 sector   

n.部门，部分；防御地段，防区；扇形

参考例句：

• The export sector will aid the economic recovery. 出口产业将促进经济复苏。
• The enemy have attacked the British sector.敌人已进攻英国防区。

4 fingerprints   

n.指纹( fingerprint的名词复数 )v.指纹( fingerprint的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• Everyone's fingerprints are unique. 每个人的指纹都是独一无二的。
• They wore gloves so as not to leave any fingerprints behind (them). 他们戴着手套，以免留下指纹。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 costly   

adj.昂贵的，价值高的，豪华的

参考例句：

• It must be very costly to keep up a house like this.维修这么一幢房子一定很昂贵。
• This dictionary is very useful,only it is a bit costly.这本词典很有用，左不过贵了些。

6 salespeople   

n.售货员，店员；售货员( salesperson的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The shop usually employs additional salespeople for the Christmas toy trade. 这家商店通常雇一些临时售货员来做圣诞节玩具生意。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• Under our new system, salespeople sit down with each of our dealers. 根据新的制度，销售人员应逐个地同承销商洽商。 来自辞典例句