september14–27, 2020| newyork 17
intelligencer
➧
ONLINE
FITNESS
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GYMS
➧
GOLF
➧
APPAREL
➡Pelotonannounceditgenerated$607 millioninrevenueinthequarterthat endedJune30,up 172
percentfromthesamequarterlast year. Thecompany doubleditsmembershipbaseandalsoreported
thataverageusage persubscriberdoubled—Pelotonsubscribers(whichcanbehouseholds)completed
anaverageof24.7workoutspermonth,upfrom 12 inthesameperiodlast year. In a bidtoattractmore
members,thecompany recentlycutthepriceofitsbase-levelbike from$2,2 45 to$1,895.It’snosurprise
thatPeloton’sofflinecompetitorsaremovingintotheonlinespace:Barry’sBootcampoffersat-home
classesstartingevery 15 minutes,gymslikeEquinoxare streamingclassesonline, andLululemon
acquiredthehome-fitnessbrandMirrorinJulyfor$500million.
➡WithGovernorCuomo’s blessing,gymsinNewYorkCityhave finallyreopened,andI returnedtomine
onSeptember 10 formyfirstgymworkoutinsixmonths.It wasweird—noshowers,nogroupfitness
classes,masksonatalltimes,reservationsrequired.ThisalsomeansI paidmy gym-membershipdues
forthefirst timeinsixmonths,a choicemany memberswillpassongiventhereducedamenitiesandthe
newroutinesthey formedduringtheshutdown.Thepandemichasalreadypushedtwomajorgym
chains—Gold's Gym and 24 Hour Fitness—into bankruptcy. Group-fitness studios are in an even tougher
spot, with a business model that seems almost designed to spread respiratory viruses. But one thing going
for them is the overall weakness of retail—landlords have reason to work with their nonpaying fitness
tenants,becausewho’s goingtotake overtheirspacesif they’reevicted?
➡Golfis slowandexpensive,andparticipationinthesport hasbeendecliningsteadilyformorethana
decade.Butthisyear,youmay havetroublegettinga teetime.Americansplayed 20 percentmore rounds
ofgolfthisJulythanoverthesameperiodlastyear,accordingtodatafromtheNationalGolfFoundation.
OneclubinMinnesota,GoldenValley,reports that it hasbooked22,000roundsofgolfsofarthisyear—
4, 000 more thanithadatthistimein 20 19.Unlike many sports,golfisadaptabletosocialdistancing.
Golf-equipmentsaleshavebeenanotherbrightspotforDick’s, whichownstheGolfGalaxyretailchain.“A
numberofyoungpeoplehavecomeintothegamebecausethey’renotplayingfootballorsoccerorother
sp orts,”saidStack.AcushnetHoldings,whichownsthegolf-equipmentbrandTitleist, reporteda sharpdrop
insalesinAprilandMay buthassinceseena rebound,withJunesales 25 percentabovelast year’s levels.
➡Many Americansarenowwearingsweatpantsandgymshorts allday, butthat doesn’t necessarilymean
they’vebeenbuyingsports apparel.Afterall,if you’reexercisingat home,is it reallythat importantthat you
lookgoodwhileyoudoit?Adidasreporteda NorthAmericansalesdeclineof 38 percentinthespring
Armoursaleswere down 45 percentinNorthAmerica.Anddelayedsportingevents—
l occertournamentandtheTokyoOlympics—haveposedevengreaterchallengesfor
storesopenagain,thesecompanieshavesurvivedthesalesdisasterofthespring.But
AdidasCFOHarmOhlmeyerwarnedinvestorsthat reopeningalonewon’t beenoughto reclaimprofits—he
expects that elevated unemployment will be a drag on sales for as long as it persists. That said, Lululemon
hasfaredbetter than its competitors so far: Sales in stores fell by half, but online sales rose 155 percent.
six months into the pandemic,
I’ve developed a new gymless fitness routine
that is, under the circumstances, reasonably
robust. My husband and I bought a Peloton
bike. I do at-home strength-training workouts
with dumbbells, and I’ve tried to get used to
jogging with a mask on. I’ve been doing yoga,
which has allowed me to tell myself that—
while I may have put on a few pounds—I’ve
never been more flexible. I’ve grown especially
used to exercising with an onscreen instructor
who can’t see me, which means I can shout as
many obscenities as I like without bothering
anyone (a habit that has made it hard for
me to adjust to the occasional outdoor group
workouts that friends have invited me to).
I’m not alone in all this change.
The pandemic is altering how Americans
approach fitness in ways that are being felt
throughout the economy. Some companies, like
gyms and athletic-apparel manufacturers,
are struggling. Others, like makers of
at-home workout equipment and providers
of online fitness services, are thriving.
Here are six fitness categories that are taking over—
or falling apart—thanks to the pandemic.
Ranking:
Pandemic
Fitness
The winners and losers.
By Josh Barro
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BODYWEIGHT
WORKOUTS
➡Ofcourse,if youcan’t finddumbbellsat a reasonableprice,oneoptionis toworkoutwithoutthem.
Barry’sBootcampisofferingonlineclasseswithstandard weights, resistancebands,orjustbodyweight
forat-homecustomerswithdifferentpreferencesanddifferentsetups.Pelotonalsooffersbodyweight
strengthclassestosubscribers.Andif you’vespenttimethissummerinNewYorkCity parks,you’ve
probablyseensomepeoplehaulingtheirkettlebellswiththem,whileothersoptfordoingburpeesand
push-upsinthegrass.“I wasalwaysa bodyweight/calisthenicskindofperson,” saidAlex Dropo,a free-
lancepersonaltrainerwhoaddedthat he’s hadsuccessmovinghisclientsonlinebecausetheirworkouts
canbedoneoutsidea gym.Otherbenefitsofthepandemicforhisbusiness:notimespentcommuting
tomeetclientsandfewerclientswhowanttoworkoutat6 a.m.before goingtotheoffice.
PHOTOGRAPHS:
MIRROR.CO
(MIRROR);
PELOTON
(BIKE);
DPA
PICTURE
ALLIANCE/ALAMY
STOCK
PHOTO
(
HOUR); B CHRISTOPHER/ALAMY (GOLD’S); DAWN EVANS/ALAMY (DICK’S);
WINSTON
LINK/ALAMY
(DUMBBELLS
);
PATRIK
GIARDINO/GETTY
IMA
GES
(SITUP);
PATCHAREEPORN
SAKOOLCHAI
(GOLF); DON NICHOLS/GETTY IMAGES (COUCH)
➡ Dick’s Sporting Goods had a blockbuster quarter ending August 1, with sales 20 percent higher than
lastyearascustomers stocked up on goods for working out at home or outdoors—not just fitness equip-
mentlike weights but also bicycles, kayaks, and camping gear. In some of these categories, inventory can
barelykeepup. “The flow of product we have is kind of going out as fast as it’s coming in,” CEO Ed Stack
toldinvestors last month. You could get around the dumbbell shortage by shopping on the secondary
market,butyou had to pay: Dumbbells from Rogue cost about $1.25 per pound if they’re in stock (good
luck),butI paid over $2 per pound on eBay this summer.
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PERSONAL
FITNESS
EQUIPMENT
