Impact of Products and Services Innovations on Consumer Behavior: The Portuguese Fitness Industry

Abstract

The fitness industry is one of the reference services for increasing the adherence of society to physical activity. The high demands, the professionalization of the sector, and the pandemic outbreak have generated the need to adapt to new contexts. Thus, innovation plays a crucial role in the current context of the fitness industry. Portugal is one of the promising markets in the Ibero-American sports. With more than 1,100 fitness clubs serving 688,210 members (with a decrease of 30% after COVID-19), fitness service providers are required to seek new strategies to positively impact consumer behaviors. Specifically, three main lines of innovation are leading the change in Portugal: different business models; new price segments; high technology. All these elements potentially have a positive effect on consumer behavior. The case of GO Fit company is exhibited for illustrating the good practices performed by this fitness operator, which is an excellent example in the Ibero-American fitness industry.