In December the Benefit Systems Group exceeded the pre-pandemic number of cards on the Polish market, recording nearly 1.2 million users at the end of 2022, which means an increase by as many as 345,000 cards throughout the year. On other markets where the MultiSport Programme is available the number of sports cards increased to 431,000 in total. The MultiSport Programme is one of the most popular non-financial benefits in Poland as well as important support for employees in a healthy and active life.
In December 2022, sports and recreation activities available under the MultiSport card were used by 1,187,300 people in Poland. In the fourth quarter, there were 123,000 new users and throughout 2022 a total of 345,000 people joined the MultiSport Programme. On an annual basis, this means an increase of 41% compared to 2021. The higher demand for physical activity in sports facilities was also visible in the sale of passes in the company’s own clubs. Their number in December amounted to 182,000 (increase by over 10% compared to the third quarter). According to the Group’s preliminary estimates, in the fourth quarter of last year, ARPU (average revenue per user) of sports cards in Poland increased by about 1.5% compared to the previous quarter and was higher by over 8% year on year.
– Last year was extremely positive for the development of our business. We exceeded our targets, and the end of the year was very good in terms of sales in all markets. In Poland, the number of cards in December 2022 was higher than before the pandemic. We also noted a favourable change in the dynamics of card sales and the seasonality of our flagship product, especially in December, which historically had a much lower sales dynamics than other months. Analysing last year, we see that the demand for physical activity is not weakening, which is also confirmed by the growing traffic in our fitness clubs – explains Bartosz Józefiak, Management Board Member at Benefit Systems S.A. – The first days of January show that the positive trends observed last year are still strong. When it comes to MultiSport cards, our goal for this year is an increase of approximately 200,000 in the entire Group: 100,000 in Poland and the remaining ones on foreign markets. We hope that the low unemployment rate and the growing need for physical activity, including taking care of psychophysical health through regular exercise, will support our sales – adds Bartosz Józefiak.
The Group also recorded very good sales of sports cards on foreign markets. In 2022, the number of MultiSport card users increased by 146,000 to the level of 431,000 (change by 51% year on year). Last year two younger companies of the Group operating in Croatia and Slovakia maintained very good sales dynamics. Activities related to the development of partner facilities’ offer and the promotion of sports cards among employers are continued on the Turkish market.
– The sales results of sports cards in Poland and on other markets in 2022 were record-breaking. Employers’ interest in our solutions can also be seen in the results of the MyBenefit Programme. In December last year the turnover on our cafeteria platform was higher by 16% compared to the one in the same period in 2021, which had a record high base. These numbers make us happy because they show that despite the challenges in the economy and the inevitable cost cuts in companies employers do not save on employees and are still willing to support their health and appreciate them through non-financial benefits – adds Bartosz Józefiak.
Considering the growing demand for physical activity in sports facilities, the Group continues to develop the MultiSport Programme offer, both expanding the group of partners (over 4,700 facilities in Poland) and developing its own network of fitness clubs. Last year, seven new facilities were opened: four in Warsaw (Zdrofit PZO, Lazurowa, HUB, Mennica), one in Stara Iwiczna (Zdrofit NPark), one in Wodzisław Śląski (Fabryka Formy) and one in Łódź (FitFabric Strazacka). At the beginning of January this year two large-format My Fitness Place clubs were also launched in Krakow (Ruczaj and Czyżyny districts).
Current report on the number of MultiSport cards at the end of the fourth quarter of 2022 in Poland and abroad is available at https://www.benefitsystems.pl/dla-inwestora/raporty/.
Benefit Systems has been operating on the Polish market for over two decades and is one of the leaders in providing non-financial benefits that support the wellbeing of employees. The company is the creator of the MultiSport Programme, which allows its users to take up physical activity in sports facilities all over the country. The Benefit Systems portfolio also includes the MyBenefit cafeteria platform and the MultiLife wellbeing programme. For several years now, the company’s sports offer has been developed on foreign markets, including in the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Bulgaria, and Croatia. The Benefit Systems Group also operates over 190 fitness clubs in four markets (in Poland it is responsible for the Zdrofit, Fitness Academy, My Fitness Place, Fabryka Formy, StepONE, S4 Fitness, FitFabric and Total Fitness networks). An important area of Benefit Systems’ activities is promoting an active lifestyle at every stage of life, which is why the company implements initiatives supporting the physical activity of children, adults, and seniors. Since 2018, Benefit Systems has been part of the global B Corp initiative bringing together companies involved in solving the most important social problems. More information about the company can be found at www.benefitsystems.pl.