Expensive climbing gym

Hello, I live in fort Myers Florida, not exactly a climbing Mecca. 2 weeks ago a new gym opened, a very long time wait . With all the excitement I discover they are charging $150 for a monthly membership, and $99 for any additional family member. The gym is maybe 4,000 square feet of floor space. Maybe 40 routes on top rope and auto belays, NO LEAD climbing, no work out area …. Two small boulder walls…. How can they get away with charging this much… it pisses me off so much. $3,000 a year…..

That's outrageous. I guess if you're the only game in town you can afford to be a racket. I'm sure some people are willing to pay that price, but there's probably a ton of climbers that scoff at the idea of paying $150/month, especially for what sounds like a lack luster gym.

I didn't believe you at first (no offense), so I looked it up. Here's the proof if anyone else wants to see for themselves and maybe give Fort Rock Climbing a little insight before they close within the year. https://fortrockclimbing.com/rates/ 

Climbable areas are a scarce resource in Florida. Scarcity dictates (in part) the price of a resource. When you add insurance and liability into the mix....yeah.....

On the flip side, a good way to maybe lower the membership cost of a climbing facility would be a cooperative or collective effort. It would take some initial capital to get rolling, but if you did, you'd be calling the shots and could set your own prices. Another option would be to work at the climbing gym, as gyms usually offer free memberships for employees and their significant others.

Those prices are freaking outrageous, but they don't have any direct competition and can essentially dictate market price for the service they're offering, and will do so until some competition forces them into a competitive pricing model. It honestly kinda smells like a rando business bro got a whif of those climbing center profits, looked at the local Fort Myers economy and decided they could make some money doing it.

Are people paying it?

Build a moonboard?

Why is this in the for sale forum lol

Did you pull the trigger and get a membership there?

I’m interested to see the facility. Their website doesn’t seem to have any photos of their actual facility. They show multiple photos depicting a lead climber but apparently do not offer lead…

Competition could lower the prices, but it comes down to whether a lower price point could have actually carried the cost of the business.  If you are the only gym within 50+ miles, how can you know that the lower price point can keep the gym in business without first trying out a higher price point?  

Andy Forquer wrote:

Competition could lower the prices, but it comes down to whether a lower price point could have actually carried the cost of the business.  If you are the only gym within 50+ miles, how can you know that the lower price point can keep the gym in business without first trying out a higher price point?  

You could run different cost analysis scenarios. Start with all your constants (real estate cost, average utility cost for a structure that size in the area, insurance, etc), and start messing around with variables (membership base size, day pass price, membership price). You can kinda get a snapshot of what operational costs would look like. Although I've got to imagine the demand in the Fort Myers area differs substantially from the rest of the country.

This is now a small business and economics thread.

You only live once, if u can afford it just pay it. If it means you’ll reach your goals it’s a bargain at twice the price. And like someone said, if u have the space build your own board. 

Camdon Kay wrote:

Why is this in the for sale forum lol

Lol my bad. I don’t post here very often, didn’t even notice. Maybe the gym with go up for sale cause people won’t join 

Irreverent Bastard wrote:

I’m interested to see the facility. Their website doesn’t seem to have any photos of their actual facility. They show multiple photos depicting a lead climber but apparently do not offer lead…

Check out their Facebook or instagram 

Kirk Lazarus wrote:

Check out their Facebook or instagram 

I see gyms in FL - a few nice ones, actually - but not with the OP’s cited name and location.

EDIT - nvm - found them on Facebook - the owner’s personal facebook feed is priceless - definitely not a climber.

https://fortrockclimbing.com/

Wow. That is a lot of money. I guess if had no other option I would pay it but I would not be very happy about it. 

they have 12 'top rope lanes'.

Oof. That's like 9 months to equal the cost of your own Moonboard. I've gotta think they've priced themselves out of business, but I know exactly nothing about Ft. Meyers or what the climbing community there wants. I won't be sad if they go out of business though.

It's because climbing gyms in Florida are so scarce. Also I genuinely feel like Florida has the highest concentration of gym climbers. The gyms are THE climbs so people will pay whatever just to get up. It's not like here in California where if I don't like a gym I have 3 other options or I can just go outside.

How's this gym? I'll be in the area for just under a week. 

mike li wrote:

How's this gym? I'll be in the area for just under a week. 

Still open apparently