Save Money on Towel Service...and Even Profit From It

For gym owners, towel service can get pretty expensive pretty fast. 

If you checked our towel service cost breakdown, you know that paying for a towel delivery service can cost as much as hiring an employee for the year! 

Even if you are laundering towels yourself, being frugal saves money and increases profits, so let's look at ways to reduce towel service expenses for you and your clients. 

Minimize Loss And Abuse 

• Require clients to leave keys at the desk when they borrow a towel 

• Implement a small towel deposit

• Add a monthly fee to memberships 

• Keep towels behind the front desk and give towels to those who request them 

• Do not allow clients to grab their own towels 

• Provide hampers at bathroom exits, the front desk, and near the exit door to minimize loss

Offset The Cost Of Towel Service 

This is particularly helpful if you have to use a laundry service. 

• Bake it into the cost by adding 18% to the membership fees 

• Charge a $15-20/month towel fee in addition to membership (you can charge more if you add in a locker rental) 

• Charge $2/towel and keep them behind the counter 

Make Towel Service a Profit Center for Your Gym

Adding a small monthly fee can make towel service a profit center. 

A gym with 300 members paying $58/month for 12 months generates an annual income of $208,800. 

If you charge $14/month for towel service, you'll generate an additional $4,200/month. 

If you go with the DIY towel service at a cost of roughly $7,138/year, that fee makes towels pretty profitable! 

Afraid your clients won't want to pay a towel fee? We've got some solutions. 

WOW Your Clients With Extra Special Towel Service

The best way to make a profit from your towels is to offer towels so magnificent that your customers brag to their friends about it. That keeps them coming back!

A few inexpensive upgrades to your hand towel service adds value that your clients appreciate. 

Since hand towels are 1/4 the price, offering an upgraded hand towel service vs shower towels saves you money too. 

• Spray hand towels with a water and eucalyptus or lavender essential oil spray

• Refrigerate towels so they're cool at the end of a workout 

• Don't use too much detergent; using the right amount of soap helps keep towels softer 
  

• Use baking soda or Borax with your detergent to keep towels super clean and fresh 

More Ways to Profit From Towels 

• Sell fancy-dancy yoga towels in your gym store area 
  

• Sell logo-branded towels in your gift shop at a premium 

The best way to make a profit from your towels is to offer towels so magnificent that your customers brag to their friends about it. That keeps them coming back and adds to your bottom line. 

It's a real win-win!

Don't miss the other blogs in this series:

• Towel Service: The Not-So-Basic Facts
• Which Towel Service Option Is Right For Your Fitness Business?