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Summary of our market study
The worldwide indoor climbing market is growing at an annual rate of 7%.
The French indoor climbing market is growing steadily. The number of climbers is around 3 million. French climbing fans are relatively young, with a significant proportion aged between 9 and 17.
The number of climbing gyms has risen from 20 in the early 2000s to around 2024.
The main accessories and products used by climbers are climbing shoes and the chalk essential for climbing. Consumers spend around 47% on climbing shoes and 30% on technical textiles.
Women spend between 300 and 400 euros a year, while men spend between 450 and 500 euros.
Media coverage, in particular the Paris Olympics in 2024, has played a key role in the popularity of climbing.
Globally televised championships and documentaries broadcast on platforms such as Netflix have significantly broadened exposure and generated interest in the sport.
The average time spent by climbers in a gym session is over two hours. The sport is relatively expensive
The market, which includes the cost of gym membership and the purchase of accessories, is estimated at between 600 and 700 million euros.
Most chains are developing franchises.
Regulations and standards play a fundamental role in the safe operation of climbing gyms, with detailed guidelines laid down by the French Mountain and Climbing Federation (FFME).
The main players in the French indoor climbing market
- Block'Out Block'Out is one of the main players in the indoor climbing sector. This company mixes the lines between a climbing gym and a social center, where bouldering is the main activity.
- ClimbUp offers vast and varied climbing walls, suitable for all ages and skill levels. The company has a strong presence, with numerous sites offering lead climbing, bouldering and speed climbing.
- Les Arts de La Grimpe is a specialist in climbing equipment and materials.
- Altissimo offers walls designed for a variety of climbing disciplines.
- Arkose: Arkose gyms often offer organic cafés and host events, making them fashionable venues for environmentally conscious climbers.
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Summary and extracts
1 Market overview
1.1 Definition and scope of the study
The climbing market can be divided into two segments:
- Indoor climbing
- Outdoor climbing
In this study, we only cover indoor climbing. The two segments are often linked in terms of consumer interest, but there arestructural differences. Indoor climbing requires heavy investment in infrastructure, equipment and walls, and constant maintenance. Indoor climbing is accessible all year round. Outdoor climbing, on the other hand, is more raw, which means that human intervention is much lower, and nature dictates conditions and routes. Nevertheless, this form of climbing requires knowledge, more people and stricter adherence to safety rules. What's more, it often requires more equipment and gadgets.
The global indoor climbing market, dominated by the USA, has experienced explosive growth in recent years. 4.4% of Americans climb indoors. What's more, the global market is set to grow at a CAGR of 12.89% between 2023 and 2028, driven by increasing popularity and interest in the sport. This phenomenon is fuelled by events such as the 2021 Olympic Games, where climbing is now a discipline for the first time since 1992.
In France, there were three million climbers in 2023. This figure is growing steadily, against a backdrop of increasing interest in the sport. A catalyst for this growth was the world championships held in Paris in 2016, where many competitors were French.
The market is fragmented, with many players present in France. However, as the business model for climbing gyms requires significant initial investment, the franchise model has gained in popularity. Among the best-known players are Montez, bloquez, MurMur and others.
Finally, COVID-19 has had a negative impact on the climbing market in 2020, with closures imposed in France between March and May 2020, and new traffic restrictions put in place in October 2020. Industry players are suffering cash flow losses, and in the future we can expect greater market concentration due to the growing number of bankruptcies of cash-poor companies.
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. ...
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 ...
2 Demand analysis
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
3 Market structure
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
4 Offer analysis
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, ...
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 ...
5 Regulations
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 ...
6 Positioning the players
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
List of charts presented in this market study
- Year-round sports participation rate
- First and second reasons for practising sport
- Household sports expenditure
- Breakdown of male and female sports enthusiasts
- Would you say that the inclusion of surfing, skateboarding, breakdancing and climbing in the Olympics is a good thing or a bad thing?
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Latest news
EB climbing shoes get new production site near Grenoble - 11/06/2024
- Year 9A Climbing took over the EB brand: 2009.
- - Current production workforce in Morocco: 80 people.
- - Planned workforce in France: Around 15 people.
- - Sales in 2023: Four million euros.
- - Export share of sales: 20%.
Climbing: Expression Holds holds the key to the Olympic Games - 27/02/2024
- Expression Holds is a Breton manufacturer of climbing holds and volumes.
- - Expression Holds has a team of five employees.
- - 60% of the company's sales come from international markets, a third of which are outside Europe.
- - In 2023, the company's sales were expected to exceed 2 million euros.
- - The company was founded twenty years ago and has over 12,000 references in its catalog, with around 3,000 different shapes.
EB climbing shoes booming with new production facilities - 27/02/2024
- The benchmark brand was taken over in 2009 by 9A Climbing
- founded in 1950, EB is one of the leading names in climbing shoes.
- Frédéric Tuscan, vice-world champion in 2001, took over the business with his company 9A Climbing, created in 2009, which generated sales of around 4 million.
- The global market for private climbing gyms is growing by 10-20% a year
- 300.000 pairs of climbing shoes sold every year
Climbing district, French climbing company, raises 10 million euros - 02/02/2024
- Climbing District, a climbing brand, was launched in 2019 and opened its first gym in 2021.
- The founding duo of Henri d'Anterroches, a former tech entrepreneur, and Antoine Paulhac, an ex-investment director, raised €10 million in January from Pleiad Venture and 123 Investment Managers.
- The company aims to open three new locations in Paris, Milan and London by 2024.
- Climbing District spaces offer a variety of activities, including yoga, pilates and strength training.
- Climbing District announced that all its gyms were profitable by 2023.
- The chain has more than 85 employees and is up against big players such as Arkose, Climb Up, Block'Out and Vertical'Art.
- The market for private climbing gyms is growing, with almost 300 private gyms across France and annual growth of 10% over the past five years.
Béal inaugurates a new production site in Isère - 25/11/2023
- Béal was founded in 1951.
- It has become the world leader in mountain ropes.
- It currently employs 70 people in France, 145 in Madagascar and 30 in the United States.
- Béal has invested 9 million euros in a new infrastructure, which was inaugurated on November 17.
- Mountain sports account for 40% of Béal's sales (18.5 million euros by 2022), 60% of which come from exports.
- The remainder (60%) comes from working at heights.
- Béal's ambition is to become the benchmark in personal protective equipment for work at height.
Climbing, the growing trend in France - 20/08/2023
- French industry leader Arkose has opened 14 gyms since 2019 and is targeting sales of 45 million euros in 2023, up from 21 million in 2019.
- A decade of growth in the indoor climbing market, with virtually uninterrupted growth outside the Covid period.
- The number of climbing gyms in France has risen from around fifteen in the early 2000s to just over 200 today.
- By 2022, 4% of the French population had taken up climbing, i.e. almost 1.5 million people, including 500,000 new climbers.
- The sector continues to grow by just over 2% a year.
- Customers spend an average of two and a half to three hours in climbing gyms, but only climb 25% of the time.
- Complementary activities account for 30-35% of sales at Arkose and 15% at Climb up.
- Start-up Climbing District, founded in 2020, claims to be already profitable at group level.
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the climbing gym market | France
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