Peloton in trouble and why they should have learned from NordicTrack's demise 30 years ago

I noticed Peloton has licensed Davd Bowies music including some re-mixes. Seems like all their people may not be on same page.

NordicTrack lost their way when they got sold from the originators to an actual corporation. That corporation went apesh!t with expansion plans, opening all those mall stores and kiosks and buying competitors and also introducing all kinds of ill conceived products that cannibalized sales of their own flagship products. It only took them a couple of years of that have to file for bankruptcy. It was pretty sad how quickly that happened. I'm glad that Icon eventually bought the name and really revived the whole brand...

Isn’t this our bastardized version of capitalism? More more more because it’s better yet most will know it’s unsustainable. Each year has to produce more profit which requires overexpansion. And if the projections are lower than expected then speculators panic and valuation drops. And never mind it’s all a shell game with fake numbers.

One thing good about Nordic Track, it actually worked

Those OG wooden NordicTrac skier's are some of the best cross-training machines for running. F your elliptigo or alter-G treadmill. Put some hair on your chest and grind some wood.

Peloton Treadmills are awesome. But I cannot justify ever buying one or any treadmill for that matter. I know too many people who buy them, never use them, or they break. They end up sitting in the basement and they are too heavy to move.

Just get a gym pass if the winter weather bothers you. Planet Fitness charges $100 for an entire year. Do the math and tell me you’ll still be using that $4000 treadmill 15 years from now. You won’t, because it will be dead and completely outdated.

where are you getting that it went bankrupt or that it is any trouble? it sounds like it smartly expanded to other products and now is extremely successful. sticking to just the nordictrack skiing machine would have been a surefire way to go bankrupt. kind of like what computrainer did with indoor cycling.

Yes, it appears that they are having difficulty, but no mention of bankruptcy.

Perhaps they can look into aligning with a fitness center like Planet Fitness to supply some of their products.

Do your research....nordictrack went bankrupt in the mod 90's...faulty products, to quick expansion

Ben Shiller wrote:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NordicTrack

where are you getting that it went bankrupt or that it is any trouble? it sounds like it smartly expanded to other products and now is extremely successful. sticking to just the nordictrack skiing machine would have been a surefire way to go bankrupt. kind of like what computrainer did with indoor cycling.

Ben, did you bother to read the ENTIRE Wikipedia you gave us, CAREFULLY?

"In 1986 NordicTrack was sold to CML Corporation (CMLK), which moved operations out of Chaska. CML opened retail stores nationally, focused marketing on infomercials, and even began manufacturing other exercise products that were in direct competition of the original NordicTrack. Additionally, CML bought up a number of mom and pop startup companies during the 80s. When competitors emerged and the market became over-saturated, CML (NordicTrack and its subsidiaries) could not sustain the debt incurred from expanding its retail division and marketing operations. Now a bloated multi-national, CML couldn't stay ahead of its spending. It closed its 300+ retail stores, and filed bankruptcy in 1998.[citation needed]

The very last paragraph under the 1980s says it, to make it easy for you, the very last sentence of that paragraph. Dude, don't make a fool of yourself with your own evidence.

Any chance of deals if they have so much extra stock of treadmills? Wouldn't be against getting one if the price is right.

"Not sure when it went bankrupt but obviously the name is still out" strongly implied that the company filed chapter 7 and is gone. it merely filed under chapter 11, which is used to screw creditors and continue going, which is exactly what it has done. Nobody says that Delta or United Airlines names are "still out there" just like anyone who had any clue about Nordictrack should be saying that about it.

Nordic track was cool. Don't remember where I used one, but I liked it. Not enough to buy one, however. A few friends and relatives had them. Make good clothes hangers.

Happens all the time. The big corporations don't care about the product, they want that name and reputation the founders have crafted.

They just start slapping the name and logo on every little thing to bring in big numbers, but what actually happens is the name become meaningless, so they have to move on to the next thing.

Rich people buy Peloton; Fit people use Concept2.

An expensive fitness equipment fad with a monthly subscription. What could possibly go wrong?

Jzs wrote:

Rich people buy Peloton; Fit people use Concept2.

You'd think that'd be their only client base. But I read a year ago they had many clients w/ under $100K/year incomes. Unreal. WTF would you want to pay $1,500 for a stationary bike & a $40 monthly fee.... to ride a stationary bike?

I caught the tail end of a conversation on a radio channel, and supposedly a guy dies on a Peloton bike on some drama. A Peloton executive had given the go-ahead to use their product in a production where the person dies of a heart attack.

Sounds to me like there might be an opening at Peloton if they are still in business.

Frogs Go Croak wrote:

I caught the tail end of a conversation on a radio channel, and supposedly a guy dies on a Peloton bike on some drama. A Peloton executive had given the go-ahead to use their product in a production where the person dies of a heart attack.

Sounds to me like there might be an opening at Peloton if they are still in business.

Not one, but two shows. I believe it happens on the Sex And The City reboot and Billions, in which airs on Showtime.

From the article:

"We get why these fictional TV shows would want to include a brand that people love to talk about, but Showtime's use of Peloton's Bike+ and reference to a Peloton Instructor was not a brand, product, or instructor placement, and we did not agree for our brand and IP to be used on this show or provide any equipment," a Peloton spokesperson said.

"As referenced by the show itself, there are strong benefits of cardio-vascular exercise to help people lead long, happy lives."

Last week, CNBC reported that Peloton will temporarily stop producing bikes and treadmills in February and March due to decreased demand for its products.