INTERVIEW
PELLIKAAN DENNIS
“ M
y view is that, across the whole of the Netherlands, the fitness sector needs to get better at delivering the
product people are actually asking for,” says Dennis Pellikaan, company director and co-owner, along with brother Patrick, of family-owned Pellikaan – a company that encompasses health club operations as well as construction (see The Pellikaan Story, p33). “That means better goal-setting, for example, really getting people into the habit of being active. But most of all it’s about creating a service culture.” He continues: “Patrick and I have
grown up in our family’s fi tness facilities. I also used to work at the Harbour Club in London, UK. So sport and physical activity really runs through our veins – but not to the point that we’ve lost touch with the mindset of our members. In fact, that’s what drives me: I always strive to look through the eyes of the consumer. “Not everyone is sports-mad – we
know it’s an effort for people to get active – and we therefore focus on the total experience at our health clubs, doing everything we can to make them places in which people want to spend time. Service levels are key to that, and this is an area in which we aim to constantly improve, learning not only from other health and fi tness businesses but also from restaurants and hotels, for example.”
Taking on the budget gyms This focus on service is particularly important in the Netherlands, says Pellikaan, where the budget sector has
32 Read Health Club Management online at
healthclubmanagement.co.uk/digital
Pellikaan operates at the premium end of the market
April 2013 © Cybertrek 2013
taken a firm grip: “Our facilities are beautiful and very extensive, and we invest heavily in maintaining their high quality. But our membership fees, which average around €65 a month, put us very much at the top end of the market. We therefore aim to differentiate ourselves on more than just our facilities, with a strong focus on lifestyle as well as complementary, value-added offerings. However, we believe the only real way to set ourselves apart from the budget sector is by focusing on service.” Pellikaan continues: “Most gym
operators in the Netherlands are either converting their clubs to a budget model or else launching a budget arm to their business. And the low-cost sector is doing very well here – it’s all but killed off the mid-market.
EUROPE EUROPE
FOCUS
The co-owner and company director of Pellikaan in the Netherlands talks to Kate Cracknell about rental models, integrating medical and fitness offerings, and differentiation through service
“We’re perfectly happy with that, as
it puts our product fi rmly where we want it to be: at the premium end of the market. However, the budget clubs’ product isn’t bad, which makes it hard for us to compete for members who are only interested in fi tness: if all they want is a gym, they’re not going to pay €65 a month when they could be paying €15.”
A new medical offering Nevertheless, Pellikaan’s focus for now is on continuing to justify his clubs’ premium price tag. “It’s about adding value to the membership, trying to attract a different type of person to the club – someone who’s still willing to pay our prices in exchange for the facilities we offer,” he says. “Our medical health clinics are a good example of this – they are bringing
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