Workouts for Working Women: A Different Kind of Fitness Center

please answer ques 3:

Curves International, whose 30-minute workout andsingular focus on women made it among the worldsfastest-growing franchise organizations, seems to be losing at least a bit of steam. Over the past two decades, nearly one-third of Curves 7,500 franchises have closed. As of 2019, Curves lists 468 franchise locations across the US and Canada, which is a fairly small number compared to its early years.

Founded in 1992, Curves was an instant hit, largely because it targeted an underserved part of the market: busy and unfit women. Curves founders believed that many women 30 years old and older cared deeply about their health and appearance but didnt want to join a fitness center full of people who were already fit. So, they created a fitness center just for them that was convenient, affordable, and restricted to females. The Curves concept was structured on a stripped-down version of the traditional fitness center, based on a tightly structured 30-minute workout using 8 to 12 exercise machines. Curves fitness centers do not have locker rooms, showers, aerobic classes, or juice bars. Instead, theyre designed to be convenient and quick. Monthly dues vary, but are within a highly affordable range.

While opinions vary about what went wrong with Curves, experts agree on four points: (1) the company failed to keep up with changing trends, including more flexible hours for busy working women, (2) cheaper competition, (3) the poor economy, and (4) the company sold too many franchises that are located too close together.

Of the four reasons cited for Curves troubles, an inability to keep up with changing trends may be the biggest culprit. Some Curves locations arent open over the noon hour, causing some patrons to look elsewhere for their workouts. Also, 24-hr fitness centers, including Snap Fitness and Anytime Fitness, have opened in many areas, providing busy women even more flexibility than Curves. Some members may have also gotten tired of Curves bare-bones approach and gravitated to fitness centers that offer aerobics classes, Yoga, Pilates, and dressing rooms with showers.

According to a July 2010 article in the Wall Street Journal, Curves also gained a reputation in the fitness industry for a lack of flexibility. In fact, some Curves franchisees say they began asking headquarters for changes in their format so they could retain members, but found that their requests were largely ignored.

Curves was one of the worlds premier franchiseorganizations throughout the 1990s and early 2000s,boasting nearly 4 million members worldwide. Its currentmembership, however, is getting sharply lower.

Questions for Critical Thinking

1. Curves International identified a promising niche market at the time, but it seems to be struggling to meet the needs of its customers. What went wrong?

2. Which force(s) in the general environment may have been effective in motivating Curves to get thingsstarted? What are they missing now? (You may use Ch.1 handout.)

3. Given the fact that todays business environment entails a lot more health-conscious and a lot busier women, what products or services may constitute competition to Curves, and what can Curves do to compete with them effectively?