The climbing gym market - France (2024)

1.2 A booming global market

YahooFinance reports that the global climbing gym market will grow at a CAGR of **.**% (***) between **** and ****. The dynamism will come in particular from North America, which will be responsible for **% of global growth. This rate of market expansion is driven by the population's growing interest in fitness, wellness and healthy lifestyles. The number of gyms built continues to grow in line with rising demand, particularly with the increasing participation of women in the sport.

We have little data on the global market. We prefer to focus on the European and American markets.

The US climbing gym market

Below is an overview of the number of indoor climbing members in the USA (***); between **** and ****, this figure rose by **.*% to *.** million.

Number of climbing club members (***) united States, ****-****, in millions of participants Source: ****

As a result, the US climbing gyms market will be worth US$***.* million in ****, after a slight decline.

climbing gym market trends united States, ****-*****, in millions of US$ Source: ****

The European climbing gym market

climbing gym market trend Europe, ****-****, in millions of dollars Source: ****

The European climbing gym market is expected to grow at a CAGR of *.*% between **** and ****, reaching US$ *.** billion in ****.

Indeed, climbing wall construction ...

1.3 Strong growth in the domestic market

The sports facility management market

development of the sports facility management market France, ****-****, in billions of euros Source: INSEE NAF code - **.**Z: Sports facility management

After two difficult years for sports facility management players linked to the closure of infrastructures during the pandemic, the market recovered well in **** and ****, growing by **.*% compared to **** and returning to its pre-crisis level with growth of **.*% compared to ****.

This growth should also affect those involved in climbing gym management.

Indeed, according to lafabriqueverticale.com, climbing gyms have recovered well from the confinement and according to Union Sport et cycle ""private gyms is one of the few sectors (***).""

This can be explained by a generalized return to normality, but also by the fact that the pandemic affected climbing players less ""fitness gyms were much more affected by the pandemic and the introduction of the health pass.they lost far more subscribers than climbing gyms."

State of the climbing gym market in ****

In ****, it is estimated that there will be over * million regular climbers(***), * times more thanin ****, when there were almost * million climbers in France. [***]. The number of licensed climbers stands at ***,***.

French climbing gyms handlesome ** million admissions a year . In April ****, there will be ...

2.1 Profile analysis: the French consumer

Today, there are * million regular climbers in France and ** million admissions per year to French climbing gyms. [***] In ****, there were **,**** climbing licensees. According to RadioClassique, ***,*** pairs of climbing shoes are sold every year.

trends in climbing gyms compared to **** France, ****-****; as % of total Source : LaFabriqueVerticale According to this graph, climbing gyms will grow by **% between the end of **** and the end of ****.

Climbing is still a relatively new sport for the French public. La Fabrique Verticale reports that **% of women and **% of men have been climbing for less than five years. Only **% of women and **% of men have been climbing for more than ten years.

According to a study by La Grimpe, the most common level of climber in France is *A, with **% of climbers between *B and *B

What type of climbing do you do? France, ****, in % of those surveyed who climb Source: ****

In ****, a majority of French climbers (***). **% practiced indoor bouldering, and *% speed climbing. In other words, around **% of French climbers practiced indoor climbing.

Breakdown of indoor climbers, by age France, ****, as % of all climbers Source: ****

According to La Fabrique Verticale, **% of climbers are aged between ** and **, with a median age of **. Climbing is still a sport practiced ...

2.2 French people's sporting activities and spending

In ****, **% of French people aged ** and over said they practiced a sport on a regular basis, and **% on an occasional basis. These figures have remained relatively stable over the years

Year-round sports participation rate France, ****, in Source: ****

While at the end of the pandemic, the proportion of women taking part in sports increased and almost caught up with the proportion of men, by **** this trend had reversed once again. Breakdown of sports enthusiasts between men and women France, ****-****, in % Source: ****

Health and relaxation are the primary motivations for practising sport. The sports most practiced by the French are running (***), while climbing accounts for just *% of the population. However, climbing is the sport that has seen one of the greatest increases since ****, rising from *% to *% of the population.

First and second reasons for practising sport  

Climbing is a sport that not only strengthens muscles and endurance, but also stimulates brain function and reduces stress. Similarly, contact with nature and a taste for risk and adventure are at the heart of this sport. All of which adds up to a sport with many positive points.

Household spending on sport France, ****-****, in billions of current euros Source: ****

In ****, against the backdrop of ...

2.3 Events fuelling industry growth

The emergence of indoor climbing is rapid and relatively new. Indeed, the real boom in bouldering has occurred in recent years at several key moments, notably during world sporting events. In ****, for example, the U.S. Climbing Association has signed a deal with ESPN to broadcast the National Climbing Championships.[***] In addition, the mediatization of sport through platforms such as Netflix has also helped the sport gain popularity and greater exposure.

Tokyo ****

The **** Olympic Games in Tokyo (***) have been a cornerstone for climbing; for the first time in almost ** years, climbing will feature on the list of Olympic sports. It's worth noting that the **** Olympic Games established climbing as a discipline in its own right; however, the event was a failure due to poor planning and organization. Thirty years on, many believe that the comeback will be successful thanks to the growing popularity and knowledge of climbing among the general public. [***]

According to the official website of the Olympic Games, three disciplines will be presented:

Bouldering: athletes complete a number of fixed routes on a wall measuring *.* m within a certain time frame. Difficulty: athletes climb as high as possible on a wall over ** m high within a set time. Speed: ...

2.4 Climbing licensees

Climbing is regulated by the Fédération Française de Montagne et d'Escalade. In ****, there were ****** members of this federation, a number that has not regained its pre-covid level.

number of members of the French Mountain and Climbing Federation France, ****-****, in number of people

Children under ** are the most numerous members of the federation, with **,*** members. Unsurprisingly, few people over the age of ** take up the sport. Distribution of climbing members by age France, in ****, as% of total climbing is a slightly male-dominated sport, with **.**% of licence holders being women. However, the number of female members is increasing every year, and in ****, **% were women. Distribution of licensees by gender France, in ****, in the mountainous Auvergne-Rhône region has the highest number of licensees (***), followed by Ilre de France, Occitanie and PACA. Number of licensees by region France, in ****, in

3.1 Typology of climbing gym market players

According to the Union Des Salles d'Escalade, the trade association set up during the pandemic, France will have *** gyms by ****. And according to LaFabriqueVerticale, there will be around *** private climbing gyms in France by ****, as bouldering becomes increasingly popular among climbers.

The FFME (***) has some public gyms, but these are mainly for route climbing.

Just over half belong to a network. The other half are independent gyms. The French market is the most structured in the world. In this respect, the French are world leaders. for example, Arkose, a French company specializing in indoor climbing, is number one worldwide in terms of sales, with over ** gyms.

The Climb Up group is number one in terms of the number of gyms, with **.

Management of climbing gyms:

The business plan shop presents a report on setting up a climbing gym in France, broken down into several stages:

Understanding the market: How many people practice a sport in the target area, and how many climbing gyms already exist? Regulatory context : some staff members (***) are exempt. In addition, the climbing gym itself must comply with fire and hygiene regulations. Climbing gyms must also have an easily accessible first-aid kit. Finally, within three months of opening ...

3.2 Geographical distribution of climbing gyms

Geographical distribution of climbing gyms France, ****, in number of gyms Source: ****

According to Planet Grimpe's overview of climbing gyms in France, the majority of gyms are located in the Rhône-Alpes region (***). This can be explained by the fact that there is relatively more space here than in other urban centers such as Île-de-France and Paris. What's more, the region is located close to the mountains, where climbing is often practiced. In other words, geographical location also plays a part in the general interest in climbing that we see in this region of France. Climbers often enjoy the sport both outdoors and indoors.

In second and third place, respectively, are Île-de-France (***). These three regions dominate the number of climbing gyms outlets in France

Clubs - public gyms

In ****, there were *** clubs belonging to the French Mountain and Climbing Federation. Climbing is not the only sport covered by this federation, which also includes skiing and mountaineering. The number of clubs and EPAs increased slightly in ****.

number of climbing clubs in France France, ****-****, in units

The highest number of climbing clubs is found in Auvergne Rhône Alpes, followed by Occitanie and Ile de France, which is consistent with the number of ...

3.3 Underlying markets

Climbing gyms have many partners to help them run their business.

Climb'Up, for example, has developed partnerships with :

sports equipment manufacturers : Petzl, Millet, Simond distributors of sporting goods: Décathlon, Au Vieux Campeur

Arkose promotes brands such as Patagonia, North Face, Picture, SNAP and Black Diamond.

Equipment

Equipment is an essential part of climbing: this sport requires special shoes and chalk. Often, climbers also use special textiles to facilitate and enhance the experience.

According to lafabriqueverticale, the top five criteria for buying climbing equipment are (***):

Technicality Price Promotional offers Aesthetics Communication and brand loyalty

What's more, in ****, men spent an average of *** euros on climbing gear, compared with *** euros for women. The breakdown of spending is described below.

Breakdown of climbing-related expenditure France, ****, in percent Source: ****

In ****, footwear and equipment were the main items of expenditure, followed by textiles (***). It should be noted that the equipment budget is lower for indoor climbing, as the quantity of equipment required is much smaller.

3.4 Increased competition between private players and sports associations

In particular, private indoor operators have to contend with competition from sports associations. The public offer of physical activities is very extensive and generally less expensive than the private offer.

In the case of climbing, competition has developed between the FFME (***) also intends to capitalize on the craze, and is starting to operate indoor climbing gyms: "Our clubs are full and are turning away members," says Alain Carrère, its president.there are *,*** clubs with access to public climbing gyms, but there's a shortage of infrastructure in all regions. Today, we have three projects for very large gyms supported by local authorities in Troyes, Chamonix and Le Bourget."

by way of example, the FFME has taken out a loan to transform a cinema in the **th arrondissement into a climbing gym. According to the UDSE, this project, known as "Karma Villette", is an act of unfair competition, as the federation has access to advantageous credit clauses and the hall is not suitable for hosting championships. The FFME, for its part, has announced its intention to diversify its revenues to support the creation or renovation of walls, and plans to open new gyms.

Towards a convergence of private and public hall audiences? ...

3.5 A sector trying to clean up its act

Climbing produces *** tonnes of waste every year. This is not confined to indoor climbing, since mattresses are often used outdoors, but holds, shoes and ropes are also used in climbing gyms.

Breakdown of climbing-related waste France, in ****, in tons Source: ****

In ****, the Clean Climber France association set up a shoe recycling network. At the fourth edition of the Grenoble climbing trade show, held at the end of September, the focus was on durability and reparability. at this major industry event in Europe, various manufacturers exhibited equipment made from recycled materials, including a harness designed entirely from reused polyester.

Discussions at the fourth edition of the climbing trade show in Grenoble revealed a growing awareness of environmental impacts in the sector. According to Eric Hatesse, the event's director, regulations are now forcing manufacturers to recycle part of their production. He also underlines the growing importance for brands to engage in environmentally-friendly practices, a trend favorably perceived by consumers. Visitors to the show expressed a marked interest in more sustainable climbing products, reflecting a natural inclination towards respect for the environment. This trend is in line with the growing popularity of climbing in France, notably with the opening of numerous urban climbing gyms ...

4.1 The different climbing gyms on offer

There are several different types of climbing gym:

Route climbing, which involves the use of a rope, climbing harness and climbing shoes, is the most representative form of the sport, corresponding to the traditional image of climbing. It requires the presence of two people: a climber and an belayer. In France, the first private climbing gyms opened in the early **s. They are generally located on the outskirts of towns, because of the height requirements, which usually vary between * and ** meters.

With a maximum height of *.* meters, bouldering gyms can be set up in city centers, offering an accessible, local climbing experience. Safety is ensured by large mats placed at the foot of the walls, enabling climbers to climb without ropes or harnesses, the only equipment required being climbing shoes. Although it is possible to climb alone, bouldering is above all a social activity, often practiced in groups.

The most recent trend in the climbing world is that of self-propelled leisure climbing. For this type of climbing, it is no longer necessary to wear shoes or use a rope; all you need is a harness to connect to the self-belay system. This system accompanies the climber during the ascent, and enables ...

4.2 Price analysis

In ****, the average male climber spent a total of €*** on climbing. The equivalent figure for women was €***. As we saw in section *.*, shoes and equipment accounted for **% of expenditure, textiles for **%, and **% of spending was on membership fees. [***]

Below is an overview of the cost of the most important climbing products and the most common memberships. They serve as an approximation and are therefore not representative of the market as a whole

5.1 Current regulations

The FFME presents an overview of the laws that apply to indoor climbing gyms. The regulatory framework comprises three pillars of standards which are based on an international level (***).

French standards include :

NF S***** on equipment, and in particular the attachment points of sports equipment to their supports. Functional and safety requirements, as well as test methods, are also covered by this standard; NF EN *****-* on safety requirements and test methods for SAE (***) with protection points; NF EN *****-* on safety requirements and test methods for bouldering walls; NF EN *****-* on safety requirements and test methods for climbing holds.

In addition, there are requirements for acceptance equipment, covered by the standards below:

Acceptance equipment for SAEs with belay points[***] acceptance equipment for pan or boulder-type SAEs[***]

Standard NF S**-*** covers the provision of personal protective equipment for physical, sporting, educational and leisure activities, used exclusively for climbing, mountaineering, caving and activities involving similar techniques and equipment. It also covers control and monitoring procedures.

The FFME states that "the French standards are the result of the collaborative work of a group of experts under the direction of AFNOR (***)"

Finally, rules on difficulties, technical aspects of walls and engineering can ...

6.1 Segmentation

6.2 Analyse financière des entreprises du secteur

• Block'Out
• Climb'Up
• Arkose
• MILLET MOUNTAIN GROUP
• ClimbingAway
• Climbing Technology
• Manox
• Climbing District
• Béal Cordes
• Hapik Masai
• Bloc Session
• Les Arts de la Grimpe
• Vertical'art
• Simond (Decathlon)
• Expression Holds
• 9A Climbing
• Jarnias