Can Platoon be more than just a fitness craze?



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The peloton must start pedaling as much as possible to avoid spinning the wheels.

That's what brand experts and media analysts say about the home fitness company that sells exercise bikes and treadmills with subscription-based workouts for more than 2,000 $ essential if she wants to be able to stay in the long term once the society is open.

"It is above all a product of the upper middle class. You pay a few thousand euros for a bike and services, but in what way do they attract a larger audience? Said Chuck Welch, co-founder of Rupture Studio strategy consulting, who has worked with companies like Nike and Pepsi. . "How are they going to attract people who might not be able to afford a bike? Maybe that's what they try to understand later. "

The New York-based company, founded in 2012 with more than 1.4 million members paying $ 39 a month in addition to equipment costs for live training at home, filed its initial public offering on Tuesday. The unprofitable company, however, lost $ 196 million in sales of $ 915 million in the 12 months ended June 30, according to its filing with the US Securities and Exchange Commission. United.

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Despite losses, the startup has attracted a cult Internet network, including Sofia Vergara, Richard Branson and Jimmy Fallon. Peloton is called "the world's largest interactive fitness platform," but some have criticized the company for being a too expensive exercise bike with a screen, while others have complained about having problems with its speakers. Platoon did not immediately return a request for comment.

Platoon seems to have high hopes for its future. The depot mentioned the start-up as "a technology company, a media company, an interactive software company, a product design company, a social networking company, a DTC retail company, a clothing company. and a logistics company. " But media analysts say to be able to evolve, one will have to develop out of fitness and aggressively adopt a more lifestyle-oriented approach.

"They are not going to have a mass audience like a Netflix or a Hulu unless they broaden their horizons and start doing things that go beyond fitness for the masses," explained Marc Berman , editor of Programming Insider. : "It can not be just high-end fitness items; maybe the food is for a healthy life; maybe travel – widen your horizons, if you are only one thing that you limit yourself completely. "

Sixty-one percent of people spend between $ 26 and $ 175 a month on fitness, according to a survey by ASweatLife.com. And last year, 21% of those surveyed said they were spending money on digital fitness programs, twice the number of people compared to 2016, according to the survey, which shows growing demand.

And some users have sung his praises, mainly to be practical. Devon Bernaiche, 28, from New Jersey, resigned from her 75-month YMCA gymnastics club because she could not get home between work and her children. Instead, she paid out $ 2,245 for a Peloton bike, plus $ 75 a month for a membership that includes access to yoga classes continuously during the days when she did not feel like it. to turn. She says that she has lost 50 pounds since she bought it.

"The YMCA was too much for me because when I left and left my job, it reduced the time for my children to eat and sleep. With Peloton, I can just use it when they are lying down, "Bernaiche said, adding that the bike's presence at her home reminded her how much she had paid for, so she decided to use it.

"I feel more guilty about jumping and training," she said.

For those who do not want to spend thousands on fitness equipment that they may be bored with, Peloton launched last year a subscription application called Digital Peloton, which includes video workout sessions. and live and recorded audio, such as yoga, outdoor running and bodybuilding. for $ 19.49 a month. In comparison, a fitness center membership at Planet Fitness costs $ 10 a month.

The streaming fitness market is becoming competitive as more and more gyms and fitness studios are eager to attract an audience to home. Equinox announced earlier this month the launch of a new apartment bike for its SoulCycle fitness brand, featuring a screen and matching fitness program. Equinox will also sell its own Woodway treadmill featuring on-demand workouts. Both would compete directly with Peloton.

Welch says that Platoon must come out of his wheelhouse once it is made public. "At the moment, the content is mainly aimed at current users. Such products tend to be considered as luxury items and not as staple goods. I think they'll try to be more content-driven, expand their retail networks and their advertising sponsorships and hire more influencers. "

Some analysts worry that Peloton is nothing more than a fad.

"Peloton innovated by offering an interactive exercise machine connected to the Internet. It's a product, not a business model, "said Ted Bauman, senior research analyst and economist at Banyan Hill Publishing, adding," I would not touch it with a 10-foot post. "

The increasingly saturated market may force some companies to lower their prices.

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"We'll see if competitors enter and subcontract [Peloton] on the price, "says Welch. "They will have pressure, wait and see."

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