Consumer Behaviour in Fitness Centres: a Typology of Customers

Introduction / purpose
Knowing your customers and being able to provide what satisfies them is a critical issue for
todays service providers and at the core of todays marketing paradigm. Knowledge of
consumer behaviour helps in effective segmentation and in creating successful service offers.
However, consumer behaviour varies across industries and is considered to be multi-
dimensional (Zeithaml et al., 1996). Many researchers have investigated the effect of various
factors, such as service quality; customer satisfaction; perceived service value, and cost of
services on consumer behaviour in different industries including banks; fast-foods; dry
cleaning; athletic services; entertainment; thematic parks, and health institutes (Cronin &
Taylor, 1992; Kelley at al., 1993; Cronin et al., 2000; Butcher et al., 2002; Bigne et al., 2005)
In athletic services, research has focused on service quality and customer satisfaction
dimensions and how these affect current and potential behavioural intentions (Parasuraman et
al., 1994; Wakefield & Blodgett, 1994; Theodorakis & Kambitsis, 1998; Baker & Crompton,
2000; Kosta et al., 2003; Kouthouris & Alexandris, 2005). In fitness centers, Papadopoulos et
al. (2004) conclude that there is a strong relationship between all service quality dimensions
and positive word-of-mouth communications of customers whereas Afthinos et al. (2005) find
that demographic factors such as gender affect perceived service quality customer
expectations of services, and therefore influence consumer behaviour.
Furthermore, Wang et al. (2008) seek to analyse consumer behaviour in fitness centres and
conclude that most customers belong to the 18-35 36-55 age categories although mature
customers are increasing rapidly. Also, they find that customers tend to be more educated and
the % of students is increasing. Major customer motives for becoming members in a fitness
centre include training and staying fit as well as loosing weight. Moreover, customers choose
fitness center based on criteria such as cost; quality of environment; building, and equipment;
group exercise program content, and quality of instructors. Although this study provides some
deeper insights regarding the way consumers behave in fitness centres, there is a need to
analyse further this behaviour. Therefore, the objective of this study is to analyze consumer
behaviour in fitness centres. In detail, we aim to study consumers profile (demographic and
psychographic); their motives for becoming members in a fitness centre; the selection criteria
they use; their usage behavior in the fitness centre; the factors that affect their satisfaction
from the fitness centre, and their future behavioural intentions regarding the fitness centre.
Methodology
The study is descriptive in nature intending to describe the way consumers behave in a fitness
centre. A survey was done based on a structured questionnaire that was personally
administered to a purposive sample of 350 respondents from 12 fitness centres that are based
in three different cities in Greece. The sample included different sizes of fitness centres in
order to cover for different environments. The questionnaire was divided into 6 sections,
namely consumer motives; selection criteria; factors affecting satisfaction; behaviour in the
centres area; behavioural intentions; demographic & psychographic information. The
analysis of the data included descriptive statistics, factor analysis and anova. The only scales
used from prior research are for the factors that affect customer satisfaction (Kim Kim,
1995) and for behavioural intentions (Zeithaml et al., 1996; Theodorakis & Kampitsis, 1998,
and Theodorakis et al., 2000).
Results
Results show that respondents are 61% women and 39% men, most of them (45%) belong to
the 24-35 age category whereas 32 are from 36-50 years old. Almost half of the sample has a
bachelors degree (43%). The majority of respondents are not married (62%) and their income
level is mostly (43%) between 1000-2000. Respondents are employed as private employees
(40%), civil servants (26%), or free professionals (19%). Also, there are a lot of students
members of fitness centres (10%).

The most important consumer motive to become a member of a fitness centre is to enhance
their fitness state followed by relaxation stress reduction (see Table 1 for mean scores for
each motive).

Table 1. Motives to become a member of a fitness centre

Motives Mean
Enhance fitness state 4.35*
Relaxation stress reduction 3.62
Control body weight 3.58
Health reasons 3.52
Increase body mass 2.88
Social interaction 2.39
*Likert scale from 1= not important to 5 = very important

The selection criteria customers use to choose fitness centre belong to four major groups (as
determined by factor analysis on larger list): quality of environment & equipment;
supplementary benefits such as massage, solarium or hair-styling; value for money aspects of
the offer (opening hours prices quality of personnel), and social factors (social relations to
personnel, friends already members etc.) Table 2 shows the number of items and the
Cronbach a for each scale).

Table 2: Fitness centre choice criteria

Factors No of items Cronbach a
Quality of environment - equipment 4 0.762
Value for money aspects of the offer 3 0.659
(opening hours prices quality of personnel,)
Supplementary benefits 11 0.936
(e.g. power plate, massage, hair styling, sauna)
Social factors (social relations to personnel, friends already 4 0.762
members etc)

Although the sample is dominated by women, 82% use weights whereas only 54% take part
in group workout sessions. Most customers use aerobic equipment and weights very often and
many times they do what trainers tell them whereas they work out in groups less often (see
table 3 for means of usage behaviour). A large 50% work out from 1 to 1.5 hours and 36%
from 1.5 to 2 hours. Also, 56% come to the centre from 17.00 up to 21.00 and 94% visit the
centre from 2 to 5 times per week. More than half of respondents (55%) are members of the
fitness centre for more than 1 year whereas 38% are members for more than 2 years.
Table 3: Usage behavior in the centre
Factors Mean
Aerobic equipment (running belts, bicycles etc.) 3.90*
Weights 3.68
What trainers tell me 2.99
Anything depending on my mood 2.57
Group exercise classes 2.53
*Likert scale from 1= never to 5 = very often

All categories of factors that affect satisfaction are important according to respondents as it is
shown in Table 4. However, the most important ones concern the quality of personnel and the
quality of environment of the fitness centre.

Table 4: Factors affecting satisfaction in the fitness centre

Factors Mean
Quality of personnel professionalism 4.3
Economic factors 4
Quality of environment equipment 4.3
Security, reliability and organisation of 3.9
activities
*Likert scale from 1= not important at all to 5 = very important

In behavioural intentions, we must note that the most important intention is word-of-mouth
communication. Most respondents are willing to provide positive word of mouth for their
fitness centre and are quite committed to their supplier in terms of purchase intentions now
and in the future. Also, most respondents are not very price sensitive and their complaining
intentions are low (see table 5 for means for each type of behavioural intentions).

Table 5: Behavioural intentions

Factors Mean
Word of mouth communication 4,6
Complaining intentions 3,2
Purchase intentions (now and in the future) 3.5
Price sensitivity 3.3
*Likert scale from 1= extremely unlikely to 5 = extremely likely

Factor analysis on psychographic factors shows that there are 4 types of customers in fitness
centres, the Sports-savvy consumer (6 items, a= 0,695); the Health-oriented consumer (3
items, a= 0,767); the Athletic consumer (3 items, a= 0,668) and the Pressured consumer
(3 items, a= 0,6). Further analysis with an aim to describe these 4 types of customers in terms
of behaviour revealed that the different groups have different motives; use different selection
criteria, and behave differently in the centre. Also, their satisfaction is affected by different
factors, and exhibit different behavioral intentions (see table 6 for a description of each type
of customer identified. In motives; selection criteria, and factors affecting satisfaction, the two
most important in each case appear in the table in order of importance).
 Table 6: Types of customers of fitness centres and their profile
Sports-savvy consumer Health-oriented consumer Athletic consumer Pressured consumer
Characte- Like to wear athletic clothing Have a specific diet View exercise as fun Are bored in gym
ristics Read sports media Often follow diets Consider exercise as a Visit gym because their
Keep informed of fitness trends Have a healthy lifestyle way of life doctor says so
Follow an ahtletic way of life Devote their free time to Perceive the gym as a
Have been involved in sports as other forms of exercise necessary evil
amateurs /professionals (e.g. cycling, swimming).
Demogra- Men & women; 23-35 years old Women mostly Men & women Women mostly; 36 50 y. old,
phics have bachelors degree 36-50 & 23-35 y. old 23-50 years old high school graduates
not married have bachelors degree have bachelors degree work as private employees,
work in private sector private employees/civil servants married; work in private civil servants & freelancers
medium/low income medium/low income sector & as freelancers. medium/low income
Motives Enhance fitness state Control body weight Enhance fitness state Health reasons
Increase body mass Enhance fitness state Relaxation / stress Control body weight
reduction
Selection Quality of environment modern Quality of environment modern Quality of environment Value for money aspects of
criteria equipment equipment modern equipment offer; Quality of environment
Value for money aspects of offer Supplementary benefits Supplementary benefits modern equipment
Behavior in Mostly use aerobic equipment & Mostly use aerobic equipment They do anything Mostly use aerobic equipment
the centre weights, and sometimes do and prefer group exercise depending on their mood, and anything else depending
group exercise classes for 1.5 to classes; follow trainers for 1.5 to 2 hours. on the mood for about 1hour.
2 hours / visit instructions & use gym 1 to1.5h
Factors Quality of environment - modern Quality of environment - modern Quality of environment - Economic factors
affecting equipment equipment modern equipment, Security, reliability &
customer Quality - professionalism of Quality - professionalism of Security, reliability & organisation
satisfaction personnel personnel. organisation
Behavioral Positive word of mouth Positive w-o-m comm. Positive w-o-m comm Negative w-o-m comm.
intentions communication (w-o-m comm.) May complain occasionally for Rarely complain. Often complain for trainers
Rarely complain temperature, cleanliness, space Not sensitive to price professionalism; temperature;
Not sensitive to price availability Committed to supplier cleanliness; space availability
Committed to supplier Price sensitive Price sensitive
Likely to switch in future Likely to switch in future
Managerial implications

The findings of this study present many implications for fitness centre management.
1. Consumers of fitness centres differ in many ways and managers of fitness centres face
the difficult task of satisfying all these different people. The emergence of four
different types of fitness centre customers presents a challenge for sports managers.
Their different needs and preferences should be linked directly with the creation of
customized offers. For example, a pressured consumer who is primarily interested in a
good deal should be offered a good price for a limited variety of services because he
doesnt use everything anyway. On the other hand, an athletic consumer is not so
concerned about price provided that the environment and equipment are good and
there is security and good organisation in the business. So a different package would
be suitable for such a customer.
2. Relaxation and stress reduction is a very important motive for fitness centre
customers. As a result, managers should make sure that their programs can make
customers feel better; release their tension and have a good time.
3. In their choice criteria, all types of customers consider the core service (environment
equipment) of the centre more important than any supplementary benefits or social
interaction. This means that any communication to customers must primarily focus on
the core service and extend to other benefits according to target group.
4. The importance of motives and selection criteria differs between the 4 types of
customers identified. This means that sport managers should carefully segment their
market and customize their advertising messages according to the group of customers
targeted. Also, it is important for fitness centres to enhance the power of their brand
by strengthening associations that relate to the motives or selection criteria of their
target market.
5. Employee professionalism as well as quality of the environment and the equipment
were found to be the most important determinants of customer satisfaction. Therefore,
careful selection and training of employees and effective management of the physical
evidence of the fitness centre are priorities that should not be neglected by managers.
Especially important is to keep all aerobic equipment in a good state since most
customers use them very often.
6. Identification of the groups that are more likely to complain and provide negative
word of mouth can help in preventing customer defection and enhancing long-term
relationships with customers.

In summary, the results of this study will help managers of fitness centres understand their
customers; segment their market appropriately; satisfy all types of customers; retain the most
profitable customers and create long-term relationships with them that lead to higher profits.

Limitations further research

This study extends findings in the area of consumer behaviour in fitness centres. However, the
sample is purposive and is limited to 12 fitness centres in one country. Future research can
extend the sample; use a random sample from the whole country; do multi-country studies or
do longitudinal studies showing changes in consumption and behavioral patterns.
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