Competitive Analysis Section - Fitness Club free essay sample

Competitive Analysis The health club industry has continued to see an increase in the amount of health clubs/fitness centers. Since 1992, the United States has seen the number of health clubs increased by almost 40 percent, from 12,635 to 17,531 facilities. It has also seen an increase in membership by almost 60 percent, from 20. 8 million to 32. 8 million. What this all means for Fun 4 Life Fitness Center, LLC is that the market is ever growing which translates to more competition. Most fitness centers offer a variety of services to address the needs and convenience of the customers.Some of these services includes personal trainers, facilities with state-of-the-art equipment, and programs that cater to mostly every demographic. Fun 4 Life Fitness will seek to have a competitive edge by providing customers with stellar customer service along with offering a variety of programs and equipment that is sure to develop a following for Fun 4 Life Fitness Center, LLC. Key Competitors The key competitors that have fitness centers in the Corpus Christi area are Gold’s Gym, Freedom Fitness of Corpus Christi, Corpus Christi Snap Fitness Center, and Corpus Christi Athletic Club. Gold’s Gym specializes in providing some of the best cardio and strength equipment to help people realize their goals. Some of their strengths include the programs they offer, their personal trainer staff, and most importantly, the Gold’s Gym brand name. They have built up a reputation for being one of the first innovative fitness centers. They have been around for more than 45 years. There are some weaknesses that exist for this particular Gold’s Gym. Weaknesses include complaints about the cleanliness of their facility and the brand name Gold’s Gym.Although Gold’s Gym is poplar and have a strong reputation, sometimes there are cases where a customer may have had a bad experience. This bad experience could lead to a customer feeling like all Gold’s Gyms are bad. Freedom Fitness of Corpus Christi has been around since 2004. They are still relatively new to the health club industry market. They possess several strengths which include inexpensive membership fees, friendly customer service staff, and a â€Å"no contracts† policy. One weakness of Freedom Fitness is the complaints that some past and current members have concerning the automatic debit and how those transactions are handled.Another weakness is that most fitness centers today possess a swimming pool and Freedom Fitness does not have one of these. Corpus Christi Athletic Club is touted as being the one of the largest, if not the largest fitness center in Corpus Christi. It is said that the Corpus Christi Athletic Club offers more under their roof than any other fitness center facility in South Texas. Their strengths are many and it includes having a large facility that offers indoor and outdoor fitness amenities, diverse offerings for demographics of people, and free babysitting service with planned activities. There are some weaknesses for the Corpus Christi Athletic Club. One major weakness would be the numerous complaints concerning the customer service (rude and obnoxious). Another weakness, although it could be looked at as strength, is the size of such a facility. For some people, this could intimidating and too public. There are many people who would prefer workout at a facility that does not have as many people. A third weakness would be that the membership fees are expensive. This leads many people to choosing other fitness facilities in spite of all the offerings the Corpus Christi Athletic Club can provide. Corpus Christi Snap Fitness Center is considered to be one of the best fitness facilities where customers feel â€Å"you get your money’s worth† here. The facilities itself is not huge like some others are, but some of their strengths such as 24-hour access, rewards programs, personal trainers, and membership fees make up for it. The weaknesses for Corpus Christi Snap Fitness Center is that they lack a swimming pool in their facility and the marketing of they offer does not mention kids programs as much as other fitness centers in the area do. SWOTHere is a look at SWOT analysis for the Fun 4 Life Fitness Center, LLC: StrengthsWeaknesses Flexible HoursNew company to market Latest and well-maintained equipmentNo brand image yet Additional complementary services offeredNon-existent customer base Well-trained staff Opportunities Threats Increased number of Corporate Wellness ProgramsLots of local competitors Demand for more time efficient workouts for those with tight sche dulesCurrent and short-term future forecasts of economy Increased health conscious population Focus on youth programsThe financial operations of the business has been selected and chosen with having an expertise in the skill of price leading/lagging in the market will benefit the business. Indirect Competitors Fun 4 Life Fitness Center, LLC does not foresee there being a lot of indirect competitors. There a few indirect competitors that the business will monitor and look out for: Community Fitness Centers are those places such as YMCA’s, Recreation Centers, and etc. that provide certain amenities at an affordable cost and convenience to prospective customers. College Recreation Centers can take away customers that fit in the demographic age of 18-30 in that most people in this age group would prefer to workout with individuals in the same age range. Medical-Affiliated Fitness Centers would offer a facility for those individuals who are seeking rehab, physical therapy, or more one-on-one individualized training. Jamba Juice Store provides healthy blended beverages to customers. The brand name that has already been established is great. Among the products they offer are a variety of smoothies and fruit juices, salads, sandwiches, and etc.