Class Fill Rate by Studio Type
Class fill rate — the percentage of available spots booked across a studio's schedule — varies by modality. Reformer Pilates studios average 80% because machine count caps capacity tightly. Mixed group-fitness offerings average 46% because broad scheduling dilutes fill per class. The single largest driver of fill rate within a modality is schedule design: putting highest-performing instructors in highest-demand slots.
| Studio Type | Fill Range | Avg. | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reformer Pilates | 72–88% | 80% | Equipment-constrained capacity; strong repeat booking |
| Hot Yoga | 68–82% | 75% | Habit-forming; peak-evening demand |
| Barre | 62–78% | 70% | Loyal core audience; morning bias |
| Yoga (Vinyasa / general) | 55–75% | 65% | Strong mid-evening + weekend morning peaks |
| Boxing / Kickboxing | 55–72% | 64% | Attracts drop-ins; variable retention |
| CrossFit (box-style) | 58–72% | 65% | Community-driven; predictable members |
| Indoor Cycling / Spin | 50–72% | 61% | Capacity sensitive to music/instructor |
| Dance (adult) | 45–65% | 55% | Seasonal; instructor-driven |
| Martial Arts (adult) | 45–62% | 54% | Belt-progression retention |
| HIIT / Bootcamp | 45–62% | 54% | High drop-in share; variable no-show |
| Meditation / Sound Bath | 35–55% | 45% | Lower weekly cadence |
| Mixed Group Fitness | 38–55% | 46% | Broad offering dilutes fill per class |
No-Show Rates by Studio Type
Studios have the lowest no-show rates of any event category in our dataset, because the member has already paid (via class pack or membership) and has typically committed to a specific class slot. Reformer Pilates and CrossFit lead at 8–9% because of strong booking-to-attendance habits. Dance, HIIT, and meditation trail at 18–23%.
| Studio Type | No-Show Range | Avg. |
|---|---|---|
| Reformer Pilates | 5–10% | 8% |
| CrossFit | 6–12% | 9% |
| Hot Yoga | 7–13% | 10% |
| Barre | 8–14% | 11% |
| Martial Arts | 10–18% | 14% |
| Yoga (general) | 10–18% | 14% |
| Boxing | 12–20% | 16% |
| Cycling / Spin | 12–20% | 16% |
| Dance | 15–22% | 18% |
| HIIT / Bootcamp | 15–25% | 20% |
| Meditation | 18–28% | 23% |
Key finding: Studios that enforce a no-show penalty (credit deduction or late-cancel fee) reduce no-show rates by 40–55% within 30 days of rollout. Most studios underuse this lever because it feels punitive — but members consistently self-report preferring the structure.
Peak Hour Utilization
Demand is heavily concentrated in two weekday slots (before-work 6:00–7:30 am and after-work 5:30–7:30 pm) plus Saturday morning. These three windows capture ~60% of bookings across most boutique fitness studios. Off-peak slots (weekday midday, late Sunday) routinely fill at 35–50%.
| Time Slot | Utilization | Context |
|---|---|---|
| Weekday 6:00–7:30 am | 78% | Before-work peak; highest-fill slot overall |
| Weekday 9:30–11:30 am | 52% | Parents + flexible workers; variable by studio |
| Weekday 12:00–1:00 pm | 60% | Lunch-hour; strong in urban business districts |
| Weekday 5:30–7:30 pm | 82% | After-work peak; highest demand + longest waitlist |
| Weekday 7:30–9:00 pm | 55% | Late-evening; drops off quickly |
| Saturday 7:00–11:00 am | 74% | Weekend peak; drop-in heavy |
| Saturday 4:00–6:00 pm | 38% | Lowest weekend demand typically |
| Sunday 9:00 am–12:00 pm | 68% | Wind-down-weekend peak |
Studio Revenue Mix
The healthy studio revenue mix is weighted toward recurring memberships (~50%) with a secondary base of class packs (~25%) and a long tail of drop-ins and workshops. Studios with more than 30% drop-in revenue tend to have higher churn because the drop-in segment is flaky by definition.
| Revenue Source | Avg. Share | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Recurring monthly membership | 48% | Most stable revenue; highest LTV |
| Class packs (10/20/unlimited) | 28% | Mid-commitment; convert well to membership |
| Drop-in single class | 18% | Highest gross margin per class; lowest retention |
| Workshops / specials / intensives | 6% | Event-based; community + premium pricing |
Utilization Levers That Actually Work
The single largest utilization lift comes from schedule optimization — matching top-performing instructors with highest-demand slots and retiring chronically under-booked classes. Beyond that, waitlist automation, no-show policies, and reminder cadence are the highest-leverage moves.
| Lever | Utilization Lift | Effort | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Waitlist with auto-promotion | +8–14% | Low | Converts capacity that would otherwise go unfilled |
| No-show policy with credit deduction | +6–12% | Low | Reduces no-show rate by 40–55% within 30 days |
| 24-hour reminder + morning-of SMS | +5–10% | Low | Two-touch reminder cuts no-shows by ~45% (see /research/no-show-rates-by-industry) |
| Package expiration alerts (14-day) | +4–8% | Low | Surfaces expiring class packs — members book before forfeit |
| Instructor leaderboard + schedule optimization | +5–11% | Medium | Schedule your highest-fill instructors in highest-demand slots |
| Fill-rate sparklines per class | +3–7% | Low | Exposes low-performing classes for retirement or re-slotting |
| Family / group accounts | +4–8% | Medium | Parent brings kid to class — 2x headcount per booking |
| Smart timing suggestions | +3–6% | Low | AI-recommended class slots based on historic fill data |
| Friends-going indicator | +2–5% | Low | Social proof lifts booking conversion |
What "Good" Looks Like in 2026
If you run a studio, here is the fill-rate benchmark to target. "Excellent" is roughly the 85th percentile of studios on Who's In. "Good" is the 60th percentile.
Methodology
This report combines aggregated, anonymized data from Who's In Studio (n ≈ 420 studios, Q4 2025 – Q1 2026 cohort, ~180,000 class bookings) with publicly available industry research from Mindbody's State of the Industry Report, IHRSA Health Club Consumer Report, and ClassPass demand data. Fill rates and no-show rates represent ranges observed across studio categories. No individual studio or member data is disclosed.
Definitions: "Fill rate" = confirmed bookings / available capacity across a studio's full schedule. "No-show rate" = confirmed bookings that did not check in / confirmed bookings. "Utilization lift" is measured as the difference in fill rate between cohorts that adopted a given lever versus matched control cohorts that did not, normalised for studio modality and location.
Data sources: Who's In Studio aggregated platform data, Mindbody State of the Industry Report 2025, IHRSA Health Club Consumer Report, ClassPass Demand Report, IBISWorld Boutique Fitness Industry Report. Last Updated: April 2026.
