the marketing analysis of competitiveness of fitness-clubs in kharkiv

Purpose: to carry out the marketing analysis of competitiveness of fitness-clubs of Kharkov. Material & Methods: analysis of references and documents, organizational analysis, system analysis, methods of the marketing analysis (SWOT-analysis), methods of mathematical data processing. The research was conducted on the basis of 13 fitness-clubs of Kharkov. Administrators acted as respondents – 15 persons; those who are engaged in fitness-clubs – 50 persons. Results: opportunities and threats of the external environment of fitness-clubs of Kharkov are defined on the basis of the carried-out marketing analysis, satisfaction of Kharkov citizens with activity of fitness-clubs of the city from providing recreational services is found. Conclusions: the carried-out analysis of marketing activity of fitness-clubs of Kharkov gave the chance to find possible threats from competitors: the rate of inflation in the country, the appearance of new competitors, the change of level of the income of the population, the increase in mortality of the population, the change of attachments of the population.


introduction
Recently it is possible to hear even more often the concept "fitness-industry", designating the field of activity, which includes production of recreational services in mass media. As estimates of analysts testify, fitness-industry takes the second place in the world (after high technologies) on rates of development and Ukraine still significantly concedes to the USA and Europe though on number of offers of recreational services, growth rates of the domestic market increase promptly.
However the fierce market competition forces the sports organizations, rendering these services to investigate constantly market condition and needs of the consumers at all variety of supply and demand in the market of services in the recreational sphere. The feature of market condition is considered, the competitive circle and activity of competitors is analyzed, and also weaknesses of the sports organization are estimated strong at the creation of competitive strategy. It causes need of application of marketing for this area.
The analysis of the scientific research in this direction showed that theoretic-methodical aspects of marketing activity of the organizations in the sphere of physical culture and sport are widely disclosed in literature [1; 3; 7; 10]. Also the questions concerning application of marketing in the organization and holding sports and mass actions [2], pricings of sports services [4], stimulations of consumption of recreational services [5] are not deprived of attention of scientists.

communication of the research with scientific programs, plans, subjects
This research was carried out within the implementation of the fundamental scientific project for 2015-2017. "Theoretic-methodical bases of development of Non-Olympic sport" (number of the state registration is 0115U002372), the number of sub-theme "Organizational-administrative, economic and humanitarian bases of the development of Non-Olympic sport in Ukraine" (0115U006861C).

the purpose of the research:
to carry out the marketing analysis of competitiveness of fitness-clubs of Kharkov.
The following tasks were solved in the process of achievement of purposes: 1. To define opportunities and threats of the external environment of fitness-clubs of Kharkov. 2. To reveal satisfaction of Kharkov citizens with activities of fitness-clubs of the city for providing recreational services.

Material and Methods of the research
The following methods of the research were used in the research: analysis of references and documents, organizational analysis, system analysis, methods of the marketing analysis (SWOT-analysis), methods of mathematical data processing. The research was conducted on the basis of 13 fitness-clubs of Kharkov. As respondents administrators acted -15 persons, engaged in fitness-clubs -50 persons.

results of the research and their discussion
Today there are many concepts used for the definition of the organizations providing recreational services. These are "sports-health-improving club", "fitness-club" or "fitness-This work is licensed under a Creative Commons 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) center", "recreational complex", etc. The market of sportshealth-improving services is presented by 145 such fitnessclubs in Kharkov. The competition in the market of recreational services increases promptly along with the intensive development of fitness-industry.
According to data of the research of R. A. Fatkhutdinov [11], the competition is rivalry on any segment of the market between the separate organizations/ which are interested in achievement of the same purpose. Such purpose, as a rule, is maximizing profit at the expense of gain of preferences of the consumer. To the main types of the competition are related: functional competition; specific competition; subject competition; price competition. To types of competitors are concerned: direct competitors; commodity competitors; implicit competitors [4; 10].
The competitive strategy represents the economic actions, which are aimed at the providing growth of realization at the established price of the delivered recreational services [6].
The carried-out analysis of functioning of fitness-clubs in modern market conditions showed that they, as well as any organization, are characterized by the marketing environment. It is known that the macro-environment is, first, the source of providing with resources, necessary for maintenance of their internal potential at the optimum level for achievement of the purposes, and, secondly, it is set of the factors influencing their activity. The microenvironment is the source of "vital force" of fitness-club and includes the potential which gives it the chance to exist and survive. The microenvironment is presented by the process of formation of necessary resources and their transformations into services, and also the subsequent renewal of resources [3; 7].
The market researches, including the competitive analysis of the market of recreational services, and also studying of consumers and assessment of demand of the provided services in the market are organized within the marketing activity [8; 9]. As a result of such researches we defined opportunities and threats of the external environment of fitness-clubs of Kharkov (tab. 1). It is visible by results of the conducted research that indicators which gained less than 60 points are threats for the development and implementation of the concept of marketing, and indicators which gained 60 and more points -possibilities of the marketing environment.
The research conducted by us among Kharkov citizens -consumers of recreational services of fitness-clubs of the city assumed the detection of satisfaction with their activities for 4 indicators: -price of recreational services; -professionalism of personnel; -comfort in club; -work with consumers of services.
The assessment of these indicators was carried out by assignment of certain number of points to each fitness-club on the scale from 1 to 10 according to levels: 1-4 points (low), 5-7 points (average), 8-10 points (high).
The indicator «price on recreational services» was considered in the complex of various characteristics during the research. The main of them are concerned: variety and quality of the main (various forms of motor activity) and accompanying (physiotherapeutic procedures, recommendations about food and lifestyle, inspection of functional preparedness of the engaged, cosmetic procedures etc.) services; features of the contingent of engaged -belonging to one or various social groups, age and sexual features; type of the subscription etc.
So, for example, the price policy of the largest fitness-clubs of the city, such as "Tetra", "Unifekht" is focused on the solvent client, where fee is carried out according to club cards of various type ("All inclusive", "Premium", "Standart", "Corporate", "Kids") for the long period.
As showed our research, most of the interviewed Kharkov citizens (68%) consider that the price of recreational services in fitness-clubs of Kharkov corresponds to the offered services and the conditions created in them as 10 of 13 fitness-clubs received on this indicator of assessment of the average level. Other 32% -noted the high level, i.e. consider the prices of recreational services overestimated. Such estimates received 3 fitness-clubs of the city: "Sport center "KhPI", "Malibu" and "Pheromon". Any of respondents didn't give mark of the low level. Above told characterizes satisfaction of the fitness-clubs of the city of Kharkov which are going in for price policy.
On the second indicator -«professionalism of personnel», estimates of respondents were distributed as follows: 6% noted SlobozhanSkyi herald of Science and Sport low, 72% -average and 22% -high levels. If to consider distribution of estimates of respondents on clubs, then only two ("Pheromon" and "Lokomotiv"), according to respondents, have high professionalism of personnel. Respondents estimated the level of professionalism of most clubs (10) among which consumers our research was conducted as average. The low level of professionalism of personnel respondents noted only in one fitness-club ("Sport center of «KhPI"). It should be noted that professionalism of personnel in many respects influences quality of the provided recreational services and is the important characteristic of activity which has to be strategic reference point of each fitness-club, in particular network.
Assessment of the comfort, which is created in fitness-club, is also the integral indicator of consumer satisfaction with recreational services. As results of the research showed, infrastructure providing, and also the accompanying services provided additional, the conditions created for classes, condition of material resources etc. of fitness-clubs "Pheromon", "Kulturist", "Tetra", "Malibu" are at the high level (32% of respondents). At the same time clubs "Sport center "KhPI" and "Aphrodita", according to poll (13%), have the low level of comfort. Other 7 clubs ("Unifekht", "XADO GYM", "Planeta plus", "Lokomotiv", "Stimul", "Rekord", "Forma T"), according to their consumers (55%), have the average level of comfort).
Poll showed (32% of respondents) that only 3 fitness-clubs ("Tetra", "Pheromon" and "Malibu") carry out the work with consumers of services at the high level. According to 24% of respondents, this indicator corresponds to the average level in 3 fitness-clubs ("Kulturist", "XADO GYM" and "Lokomotiv"). Nearly a half of respondents (44%) noted the low level of work with consumers of services in such fitness-clubs as «Sport center "KhPI", "Planeta plus", "Aphrodita", "Stimul", "Rekord", «and "Forma T". It testifies to the undeveloped system of work with clients who have to provide the complex of special offers, instruments of information influence and the control device of level of satisfaction of the consumer with services (pic. 1).
If to consider results of the conducted by us poll in total on all 4 indicators, then most of the interviewed Kharkov citizens estimate activity of fitness-clubs on average and on high levels. The highest estimates of consumers received fitnessclubs "Pheromon" and "Malibu". These fitness-clubs have the wide network in the city and are the chief leaders among fitness-clubs. Thanks to the wide network of fitness-clubs, these organizations are capable to offset possible financial losses of one fitness-clubs by the successful work of others. The network works as the uniform organization, that is has the system strategy, economic reference points, and unlike single fitness-club, has almost maximum coverage of the local market. Therefore these clubs need to develop each of the available resources in the context of development. 2. The satisfaction of Kharkov citizens -consumers of recreational services, is revealed by activities of fitness-clubs of the city for 4 indicators. According to 68% of respondents, the price of recreational services corresponds to the offered services and the created conditions. The average level of professionalism of personnel was noted by 72% of respondents. According to Kharkov citizens, assessment of high (32%) and average of levels (55%) is deserved by the comfort created in clubs of the city. However 44% of respondents noted the low level of work of fitness-clubs with consumers of services.
prospects of further researches consist in the definition of effective marketing strategy of fitness-clubs of Kharkov.
pic. 1. consumer assessment of activities of 13 fitness-clubs of kharkov for providing recreational services in indicators: