A competitividade das academias de ginástica e musculação de Santa Maria - RS

Abstract

The aim of this work was to evaluate and analyze the degree of competitiveness from the sector of fitness centers in Santa Maria RS. The study brings an analytics support of Porter Competitiveness Model (1986), of the five competitive strengths, of the small and medium companies and of the fitness centers sector, charactering as quantitative, descriptive and as a field study. The data used in the analysis and interpretation of this research were obtained through answers to a questionnaire applied for the managers/administrators of the companies related in the Cadastro de Contribuintes de Alvará, from SMIC Secretaria de Indústria e Comércio da Prefeitura Municipal de Santa Maria RS. Through this data it was verified that these companies are mostly PMEs, their basic way of administration is familiar, most part of them was created less than 5 years ago and has as its first concerning the search for solutions for its internal operational problems. Among the competitive strengths acting in the sector, the bargain power from the customers is considered the most powerful one, because there is in the market a huge sensitiveness to the prices and localization of the fitness centers. Despite it doesn t represent a barrier to the entrance of new companies into the market, the skill to maintain the prices, by the learning curve, is highlighted as a way to remain in the sector. The intensity of rivalry among the competitors is noticed as high and attributed to the big number of similar companies working without differentiation. As the companies don t own a big extension of shopping and any provider has a relevant participation of goods and equipments, there isn t, in this sector, conditions to the providers to have a bigger power of negotiation. The overcoming of substitute services doesn t concern the companies, and there are no systematic researches for their identification. Among generic competitive strategies described by Porter, most part answered that uses differentiation, that has made investments to improve its competitive position and usually tries to fit the market instead to influence it or to be in front of the competitive moves in the sector. In the end of the research it was concluded that, the non perception of differentiation from the clients of the services offered by the fitness centers of Santa Maria, is the main challenge to be faced by the companies. The search for solutions of the companies for a faster and effective visualization of the differentiation of their services face to the concurrence requests actions in the way of profisionalization of the gesture, definition and adoption of an adequate competitive strategy and the creation of a local class entity