At Wodify, we're always digging into data so we can share our findings, insights and recommendations with you. With one of the largest & most accurate datasets in the industry, we created this data-inspired blog series so that we could share specific metrics that empower you to take action. This data is pulled from Wodify's extensive customer base spanning over 5,000 fitness businesses from across the world.

Seasonal shifts—especially during fall and winter—often raise questions about attendance trends, membership sales, and fluctuations in class participation as changing weather and routines influence behavior. If you're a business owner, you can feel these shifts even if they're subtle. And if you're an experienced business owner, you're likely already used to the rollercoaster of effects that seasons have on your business and have learned to weather the storms.

We dug into our database to determine during which months the most clients were gained or lost. And if you assumed that most clients are lost during the summer months, you need to keep reading. In this Behind the Numbers (BTN as we call it behind the scenes) blog post, we uncover that:

January reigns as the best month to acquire new clients. No surprises there!

November and December are the two months with the highest net loss of clients.

The late spring to late summer months experience the highest client acquisition rates and the highest client churn.

The Data Uncovered

The graph below shows average new, lost, and net clients by month with data from the US, Canada, UK, Australia and New Zealand from 2023-2024.

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Top 2 months with the highest number of new members and best net gain

1. January
2. June

Top 2 months with the lowest number of new members and worst net gain

1. November
2. December

Top 2 months with the highest number of lost members

1. August
2. July

The Bottom Line: Every Season Has a Strategy

Growth isn’t just about the January rush — it’s about understanding your members’ rhythms all year long. Here’s how to use seasonality to keep your community strong 12 months a year.

Here are three tips on improving member retention in the next few months (this is going to set you up with a strong member base to build from come January!):

1. Create a custom report that tracks member attendance
   Based on Wodify data, new clients are 68% more likely to cancel their membership if they haven’t been to class in 20 or more days compared to long-term clients. With Wodify's Retain feature, you can leverage AI to identify at-risk clients based on attendance and other red flags. From there, you can rely on automated workflows to nurture the client into booking a class or re-engaging or you can reach out personally.

2. Performance Tracking
   We’ve said it once and we’ll say it 100 more times. It’s easy for clients to come up with excuses to not attend your gym or studio between cold weather, shorter days and holiday seasons, so you need to provide more value and show your clients proof that hard work pays off. Read more here about how member performance tracking can increase retention by 20%.

3. Host community-centered events
   One thing about a gym or studio that is irreplaceable is the community. By hosting a gym or studio holiday party, charity workout, themed workout or member mixer, you give your clients the opportunity to interact with each other in a more social setting. When clients feel a sense of belonging at your gym, they are less likely to leave. 

We hope you found these insights & advice useful for your business! Keep an eye out for more posts in this series as we continue to explore the data in Wodify. 

If you aren’t using Wodify yet, you can book a free consultation here.