Exploring the Operational Strategy of Typical Sports Spaces in China

In late 2023, the secretariat of CSGF Sports Space (Park) Committee have conducted a survey on the operational status of various sports institutions. Most of them responded that the impact during the pandemic was limited, on the contrary, the overall spending power dropped significantly after the pandemic. As a result, this leads to conservative forecast of single-digit growth of store expansion in 2024, which is not very optimistic. Instead, the focus should be placed on increasing sales at individual stores.

Competition among “single functional venues” is becoming increasingly intense. New entrants, who are unprofessional and usually offer low prices, are attracting customers from the surrounding areas. It’s time to consider abandoning the strategy of affordable price or price wars, and become a small but powerful internet-famous venue.
 
The result shows that more than 80% of operators have selected multi-functional sports venues as their preferred option for new projects. This is due to the following advantages:
1. The user life cycle of is longer.
2. The combination of sports and leisure in one place can be a response to changes in consumer habits and encourage more interaction.
3. Establishing partnerships can help deepen collaboration and improve marketing efficiency.
 
Trends for 2024 include:
1. Miniaturization and mobility will diversify business formats.
2. Businesses will focus on being integrated into the community and daily life, offering one-stop services that combine sports and other activities to attract more customers.
3. Community operations will be further developed to improve engagement and interaction with local residents.
4. Create unique IP and drive people to the venue through customized branded events.
5. Form cross-border alliances to capitalize on foot traffic and monetize through collaborations with other businesses.