When did clubs peak??

7 comments

• FONDL

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  18 years ago

  I think it all depends on what you mean by "peak." I think the number of clubs is at an all-time high and still growing. I think the number of dancers is at an all-time high and still growing. I think there are more high-end clubs today than ever before. But I think in terms of overall business volume and the number of steady customers, the industry is declining, primarily because of the loss of business expense account customers and the increased competition from other sex services. A lot of clubs and a lot of dancers are getting squeezed. But that probably varies quite a bit from one locality to another - some clubs are probably still doing very well. Many clubs are responding to declining business by raising prices, which I think is a huge mistake, it will accelerate their decline unless they are improving their quality and product offering at the same time. Other clubs are responding by lowering their standards and hiring more dancers, which again is a mistake because it lowers the quality of their product. IMO the successful places are the ones that are either (1) smaller places that cater to locals by keeping prices low and providing a friendly and fun atmosphere, or (2) larger places that don't go overboard in spending on physical plant so that they can keep their proces modest and hiring standards high, and can supply an increasing number of products and services, or (3) fancy high-priced places located in big convention towns like Las Vegas. The places that understand who their primary customers are and strive to provide the kind of place that appeals to those customers will do much better than the place that try to attract high rollers in towns where there aren't very many of them. I often wonder whether some high-end clubs especially are fronts for something else, because they are run in such a way that suugests that they don't care whether they make money or not.
• chandler

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  18 years ago

  I think the business peaked for most strippers around the year 2000 and the end of the dotcom bubble. Since that time, there are fewer customers buying $10 or $20 lapdances. More patrons seem to be either springing for the $200 VIP jackpot or just hanging out in groups, not spending. It's more of a winner take all market. Many clubs, however, have made out better than dancers. They've made up for the loss of corporate entertainment spending on drinks, etc., by pushing business into VIP rooms with an outrageous take for themselves and taking stage fees from more girls than anybody wants to see strip.
• Golfer99

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  18 years ago

  I think that clubs have had ups and downs but I don't think there was a peak. Maybe in Tampa, the clubs peaked 5 years ago or maybe in Seatle 5 years ago but it seems more and more spring up. The conservative groups are constantly trying to close them down so it will always be a business in which there are ups and downs.
• DandyDan

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  18 years ago

  That depends on what you mean by clubs peaking. In sheer numbers of clubs, I think they are up across the country, although in my region, they are down. In terms of money being made, I don't know, because I don't know each clubs finances. In terms of how entertaining they are, I don't know, because each club is different. I would like to think my favorite club is at it's peak, but it's been slipping lately. My local club is peaking at this moment. One of my old favorite clubs has been on a five year decline, which is why I don't go there much anymore.
• chandler

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  18 years ago

  They keep building more and bigger clubs, but I think big money taken in by the industry peaked around the turn of the century.
• casualguy

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  18 years ago

  There seems to be less clubs but more of a crowd within them. If it gets so crowded you can't find a seat, that will probably stop me from going. I believe the real reason there are less clubs in my area is due to certain religious groups going on one crusade or another. Strip clubs were at the top of their hit list at one time. I'm not sure what is at the top of their crusade hit list right now unless it's gay marriage, defending blue laws, smoking, or something else.
• chitownlawyer

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  18 years ago

  Everywhere I go, there are more clubs, and they are closer in to settled residential areas than they used to be. My observation is that the number of clubs is growing, not declining.