Competition and customer loyalty of fitness centres in the Prague region compared to the Prague-West area

Abstract

This paper presents the results of research on the competition and customer loyalty of fitness centres in Prague and in the Prague-West region. A questionnaire for fitness and wellness centre customers and a structured interview with management of selected fitness centres in the sample have been used. Four fitness and wellness centres, which are part of global or Czech chains, have been selected for the sample in the Prague region according to pre-defined criteria. In the second phase, an available sample of clients was selected for questioning in each of the researched facilities. The sample comprised 805 respondents in total. Five fitness centres were selected for the sample in the Prague-West region according to predefined criteria. The respondent sample from these fitness centres was selected using partly biased selection and deliberate selection. The selective sample consisted of 483 respondents. The results were sorted according to Porter analysis of level of competition and they present competitive rivalry between fitness and wellness centres in Prague and Prague-West. They also show the gradation of competition for customers in these areas and how it is increased by low customer loyalty. Furthermore, the results present the bargaining power of fitness centre customers, the bargaining power of suppliers of exercise machines and other goods, the threat of substitutes for fitness and wellness services and the threat of more rival facilities entering the market.