Nautilus, Inc. Delivers New Bowflex® Indoor Cycling Bike

VANCOUVER, Wash.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Dec. 1, 2020– Nautilus, Inc. (NYSE:NLS), an innovation leader in home fitness for over 30 years, today announced the expansion of its indoor cycling bike series with the Bowflex® C7 connected bike. The bike, available at select Dick’s Sporting Goods, combines quality design with digital connectivity for a personalized, immersive workout.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20201201005419/en/

The new C7 takes the popular Bowflex C6 bike to the next level with an integrated 7’’ high-definition (HD) touch screen. The intuitive resistance knob gives users 100 resistance levels to choose from and offers a variety of workouts; while the magnetic resistance system offers a smooth, quiet ride. Further, the C7 bike’s compact footprint allows users to easily store around the home.

The HD touchscreen offers access to the JRNY® digital fitness service, which uses machine learning to create personalized workouts supported with motivation and praise. Individualized JRNY workouts are based on an initial fitness assessment which adjusts as the user progresses — removing the guesswork from achieving a productive and satisfying workout.

“Our sights are set on being the leader in connected home fitness by providing the best-in-class user experience that the JRNY fitness service delivers,” said Jim Barr, CEO of Nautilus, Inc. “A recent survey found that entertainment is a part of most fitness consumers’ workouts with 93% citing at least one form of entertainment they engage in while working out. The addition of the JRNY fitness service to the Bowflex C7 delivers what consumers are requesting.”

The survey conducted on Nautilus Inc.’s behalf by YouGov found that the percentage of surveyed U.S.fitness consumers* working out at home on a weekly basis has increased from 43% before COVID to 73% during COVID. Additionally 55% of these consumers said they have purchased fitness equipment since the start of the pandemic.

The JRNY fitness service gives members the flexibility to combine voice coached, personalized workouts with Explore the World™ videos, trainer-led video workouts, or entertainment options like Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime Video, and Disney+.** Additionally, users can digitally connect to popular third-party cycling apps — allowing them to ride with their favorite trainers via streaming on-demand classes from Peloton®, or interact, train and compete against others on Zwift®.***

“The high demand for home fitness solutions is growing our consumer base and demand for product availability in a variety of places at a range of price points,” said Jay McGregor, Vice President, General Manager, North America Retail, Nautilus, Inc. “We are pleased to debut our new Bowflex C7 at Dick’s Sporting Goods as a way to offer a new indoor cycling experience for people who are working out at home.”

Bowflex® C7 Bike

Additional features include:

The Bowflex C7 indoor bike is available at select Dick’s Sporting Goods retail stores for $1,199 (MSRP).

The JRNY digital fitness service is available on Bowflex.com and for download in the Google Play and App Stores and comes pre-loaded on the C7 bike. C7 bike purchasers receive a 2-month free JRNY fitness service membership, which allows access to the JRNY experience. Following the trial period, a JRNY fitness service membership will cost $19.99 per month or $149 per year, plus applicable taxes.

For more information about the Bowflex® C7 indoor bike and JRNY® fitness service, visit: https://www.bowflex.com.

* All cited figures, unless otherwise stated, are from a survey conducted by YouGov Plc on behalf of Nautilus, Inc. Total sample size was 1066 “Fitness Consumers,” defined as US adults aged 18 to 64 years old who have spent $500 or more on fitness in the past year. Fieldwork was undertaken July 27 – August 3, 2020. The survey was carried out online.

** Requires a subscription to the streaming service, not included. Also requires a JRNY® fitness service membership to access the streaming service from the console.

*** Requires a tablet or phone and separate third party subscription, not included. There is no affiliation with Peloton or Zwift. Peloton’s digital app ($12.99/mo.) has fewer features than its all-access membership ($39/mo.). $12.99/mo. subscribers cannot access Peloton’s leaderboard or its power, speed, and distance metrics. Cadence is available on iOS devices.

About JRNY® Fitness Service

The JRNY® digital fitness service gives members the flexibility to combine voice coached, personalized workouts with Explore the World™ videos, trainer-led video workouts, or entertainment options like Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime Video, and Disney+. The JRNY fitness service uses machine learning to create personalized workouts with motivation and praise. Individualized JRNY workouts are based on an initial fitness assessment which adjusts as the user progresses — removing the guesswork from achieving a productive and satisfying workout. This immersive, digital experience is currently available on Bowflex connected home fitness cardio equipment, including indoor cycling bikes, treadmills and Max Trainermachines.

About Nautilus, Inc.

Nautilus, Inc. (NYSE:NLS) is the global leader in innovative home fitness solutions. The company’s diverse brand portfolio includes Bowflex®, Nautilus®, Schwinn®, and a broad selection of exercise bikes, cardio equipment, strength training products, as well as the JRNY® fitness service. Nautilus, Inc. empowers healthier living through individualized connected fitness experiences. The company sells its products through direct and retail channels. Nautilus, Inc. uses the investor relations page of its website (www.nautilusinc.com/investors) to make information available to its investors and the market.

Media:

Erin Beck
Nautilus, Inc.
360-859-5863 
[email protected]

Carey Kerns
The Hoffman Agency
503-754-7975 
[email protected]

Investor Relations:

John Mills
ICR, LLC
646-277-1254 
[email protected]

Source: Nautilus, Inc.

Contact: Vice President, Ashley Whittaker

Company: Sports Facilities Companies

Email: [email protected]

Sports Facilities Companies Launches Hype Nation Volleyball in Partnership with Showtime Events

(Clearwater, FL) November 24, 2020 – Sports Facilities (SF) Companies, the youth and amateur sports industry leader in sports and events venue finance, development and management, has announced a partnership with Showtime Events to establish a new brand of volleyball tournaments called Hype Nation, LLC. Beginning in 2021, Hype Nation will usher in a new standard of volleyball tournament quality for traveling coaches, club owners, players, and families. With SF Companies’ longstanding history of service to public entities, municipalities, and convention and visitor bureaus, Hype Nation is poised to maximize economic impact results to host communities including $6 million in forecasted economic impact in their first two events alone.

“Hype Nation is the next evolution of how the SF Companies serve to improve the health and economic vitality for our clients and communities,” said Jason Clement, SF Companies’ CEO and Co-Founder. “The pandemic has accelerated a need for us to compliment – not compete – with existing events in the SFM Network. Showtime is a proven event partner within the SFM Network and has a reputation for delivering high quality events for participants as well as delivering heads-in-beds and new market visitors.”

Kicking off the inaugural season in January of 2021, Hype Nation will launch events at the Cedar Point Sports Center in Sandusky, Ohio and Rocky Mount Event Center in Rocky Mount, North Carolina. Combined, these events are on pace to generate nearly 6,000 new visitors and 2,500 booked hotel room nights.

“I’ve been running volleyball tournaments for 10 years and have partnered with clubs all over the country,” said Troy Helton, Partner of Hype Nation. “We pride ourselves on doing right by the clubs, players, coaches, referees, and spectators who attend our events. We work hard to create a collaborative relationship with facility staff and set the highest standard of excellence for event operators. Partnering with SFC allows us to scale the level of service represented in all Hype Nation volleyball events across the country.” 

Hype Nation is now accepting bids to host regional tournaments for the 2022 season. Destination communities and facilities interested should complete the bid form by March 1, 2021 to be considered. View the event schedule, Hype Nation team, register for a tournament, and bid opportunities, here.

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About Sports Facilities Companies: The Sports Facilities Advisory, LLC (SFA), Sports Facilities Development, LLC, and Sports Facilities Management, LLC (SFM) are headquartered in Clearwater, FL. Founded in 2003, SFA is the only sports strategic partner to the International City Managers Association,  The firms have served more than 2,000 communities, produced institutional-grade financial forecasts for more than more than $10 billion in community based and sports tourism projects, and provided funding strategies and solutions for more than 70+ youth and amateur sports and recreation complexes. SFD serves facility owners through owner’s representation, venue planning, and procurement services during pre-development and construction. SFM provides industry-leading, results-driven management solutions for sports, fitness, recreation, and event venues nationwide. Since 2014, SFM-affiliated venues have hosted more than 100 million visitors and generated hundreds of millions of dollars in economic impact. For more information, visit: sportadvisory.com and sfmnetwork.com.

What are some of the hottest products in the sports, outdoor and recreation marketplace right now? See below for a taste of what’s trending based on The NPD Group’s retail sales data:

High Growth Sports, Outdoor & Recreation Categories

NPD’s sports industry advisor Matt Powell says, “Staying fit while socially distant is the overarching theme that continues to drive sales for the outdoor and sporting goods businesses, and we see this shine through in all the products highlighted above. Consumers continue to invest in fitness equipment for the home. In many cases, these purchases are ‘one and done,’ but new opportunities with consumers lie in complimentary purchases, including add-on accessories and additional equipment to expand and diversify their fitness repertoire. Outdoor-related equipment from kayaks to golf is also experiencing phenomenal growth, driven by both new and existing participants. Spending more time at home has also heightened the demand for smokers, grills, and other backyard essentials. With the holidays around the corner, some may consider social-distance friendly gatherings and turn to those products that provide warmth and good food in the comfort of a backyard.”
 

For more information or to speak with Matt Powell, contact me at [email protected] or 516-625-2203.

Heat Row and Heat Performance Row allow exercisers to train for every intensity level in any setting

ROSEMONT, Ill., November 16, 2020 – Life Fitness today launched the Heat Row and Heat Performance Row, two powerful new rowing machines designed to enhance the rowing experience of all users. The Life Fitness Heat Rowers feature sleek and modern aesthetics with a variety of easy-to-use features to meet the training needs of facilities and exercisers.  

The Life Fitness Heat Row focuses on ease of use with quick-release ratchet foot straps and a 300-degree resistance knob accessible from the catch position. Resistance is provided by air and magnetic overlay, offering a wider of range of resistance to accommodate beginner users to those seeking anaerobic bursts. Heat Row’s intuitive features also allow instructors to optimize a small group training class with simple programming for all exercisers. 

The Life Fitness Heat Performance Row includes all the features of Heat Row but with an enhanced digital experience designed for elite training. The upgraded WattRate® TFT console offers users accurate feedback and programming with Training, Comparative, and Technique viewing options. Programs such as Race a Distance or Race a Friend use gamification to motivate exercisers in a fun and engaging way. Heat Performance Row also includes control buttons on the handle to quickly change the display on the console. 

“With the new Heat Rowers, we aimed to create streamlined performance rowers that inspire exercisers to push past their limits,” said Dan Wille, Global Vice President of Marketing and Product Development, Life Fitness. “We always strive to meet the needs of our customers and that means developing new products that are driven by top training trends. Performance training combined with the use of rowing machines continues to gain popularity with individuals and in group settings. We wanted to develop a high-quality solution with eye catching aesthetics to take the rowing experience to the next level, and the Heat Rowers deliver.” 

Modern and powerful, Heat Performance Row and Heat Row are tailored to motivate exercisers of all levels in any workout setting. To explore the Life Fitness Heat Rowers, click here.

About Life Fitness

Life Fitness is the global leader in commercial fitness equipment and game tables and furnishings. The company manufactures and sells its strength and cardiovascular equipment, billiards tables and accessories, and game room furniture under the brand names Life Fitness, Hammer Strength, Cybex, Indoor Cycling Group, SCIFIT and Brunswick Billiards. Its equipment is distributed to 166 countries. Life Fitness is headquartered outside Chicago, in Rosemont, Illinois. For more information about Life Fitness products and services, visit https://www.lifefitness.com/en-us.

ST. LOUIS, MO. Markwort Sporting Goods Company is pleased to announce their acquisition of
Arm Strong® Baseball-The Complete Pitching and Throwing Trainer from David and Connie Higgins- the owners of DH Sports, Inc.


The Arm Strong® Baseball Trainer is a proven steady seller and has been on the market for decades.
Markwort Sporting Goods Company was established in 1931 and is the maker of fine sporting goods products such as C-Flap®, Game Face®, Heart-Gard®, Palmgard® and much more.

Footwear Sales in the U.S. Expected to Stabilize and Bounce Back Slightly for 2021, According to NPD

Q4 Sales Positioned to Significantly Improve Over Year-to-Date Trends

Port Washington, NY, October 29, 2020 – Lifestyle changes and consumer behavior shifts in 2020 due to the public health crisis have driven year-over-year sales declines for the U.S footwear industry, but trends are expected to stabilize and recover through 2021, according to The NPD Group’s Future of Footwear report. Improved fashion footwear and performance sales are forecasted to lead increased dollar sales for the overall industry, though sales will remain below 2019 levels.  

The fashion category, which has been the hardest hit by the pandemic, is expected to see renewed sales during the coming year as consumers begin to return to some of their pre-COVID behaviors. The women’s slippers category—one of the few bright spots in fashion footwear this year—is likely to be a hot holiday item and will remain strong in 2021 – even outperforming 2020 sales.

“A return to the office and store re-openings will likely reignite some demand for fashion footwear, although the focus will remain on casual and comfort-oriented styles. The pandemic has only amplified the importance of these attributes, as the blending of work-from-home and remote learning has led consumers to favor comfort to wear any time of the day,” said Beth Goldstein, NPD’s fashion footwear and accessories analyst. 

Following a similar trajectory and after declines during the last two years, performance footwear is expected to see growth in 2021 – a lift that will be driven by road running shoes.

“Greater attention to health and fitness has been a silver lining in 2020. A number of sports and recreation-related categories have benefitted from this, including performance running. In addition to easier year-over-year comparisons, which may factor into the growth, running shoes are poised to outperform the overall market as consumers continue turning to the activity to stay active yet socially distant,” said Matt Powell, NPD’s sports industry advisor. “With new participants, brands and retailers should focus on their assortment of more mainstream product and educating new runners on the importance of having this activity-based shoe in their line-up.”

What’s In Store for Q4

Footwear sales are expected to decline in the mid-single digits during Q4 2020, but this is a significant improvement from year-to-date trends. Alluding to an anticipated rise in outdoor activities this fall/winter, cold weather boots and hiking shoes began selling notably well in August, with sales up +49% and +24%, respectively, in August and September 2020 combined compared to last year, according to NPD’s Retail Tracking Service. 

For more on NPD’s footwear sales expectations and trends for Q4 and the holiday season, read the latest from Matt Powell, Sneakernomics: Sports Retail Holiday 2020 Expectations, and Beth Goldstein, Changes in Lifestyle Drive Shifts in Holiday Purchasing for Footwear & Accessories.

 ***

About The NPD Group, Inc.
NPD offers data, industry expertise, and prescriptive analytics to help our clients grow their businesses in a changing world. Over 2,000 companies worldwide rely on us to help them measure, predict, and improve performance across all channels, including brick-and-mortar, e-commerce, and B2B. We have services in 19 countries worldwide, with operations spanning the Americas, Europe, and APAC. Practice areas include apparel, appliances, automotive, beauty, books, B2B technology, consumer technology, e-commerce, fashion accessories, food consumption, foodservice, footwear, home, juvenile products, media entertainment, mobile, office supplies, retail, sports, toys, and video games. For more information, visit npd.com. Follow us on Twitter: @npdgroup.

Press Contact:
Marissa Guyduy
+1 516-625-2203
[email protected]

More consumers are concerned about the economy than their own finances – 30% will spend less as a result.

Port Washington, NY, October 26, 2020 –The 2020 holiday shopping season was kicked off earlier this year with Amazon Prime Days and competing retail promotions in mid-October, and while consumers are always looking for good deals, their sweet spot this holiday will be free shipping, reports The NPD Group. According to insights from NPD’s annual holiday purchase intentions study, free shipping, for the first time, was identified as the number one factor influencing where consumers decide to shop this holiday. A finding that corresponds with consumers increasing use of online shopping due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Consumers plan to do more of their holiday shopping online this year, and this includes shipping gifts to family and friends with whom they won’t be able to celebrate in person this year,” said Marshal Cohen, NPD’s chief industry advisor, retail. “The addition of shipping fees to all of these deliveries is a bigger financial burden on consumers than getting the best deal on the item itself.”

Although the holiday shopping season began earlier than ever before this year, it’s just the beginning for 52% of U.S. consumers who plan to start their holiday shopping on Thanksgiving Day or later. This is not to say that consumers didn’t shop Amazon Prime Days and the competing retail promotions. General merchandise sales results from NPD’s early indicator report* for the week ending October 16, 2020 show the early promotions brought a 21% boost to dollar sales compared to the same week last year; but only a 2% lift in sales compared to the week in July 2019 when Amazon’s online shopping event and competing retailer promotions took place.

As far as holiday spending goes, consumers plan to spend an average of $691 this holiday season, which is less than last year’s anticipated holiday spending, but on par with 2018 plans. The number of those who plan to spend the same amount they did last year declined by 11 points compared to last year, mostly in favor of those who plan to spend less.

Concern about the state of the U.S. economy is a contributing factor to consumers’ spending intentions. Fifty-seven percent of shoppers rate the state of the economy poorly (up from 37% last year), and 30% say they will spend less because of the state of the economy (up from 23% in 2019). On the flip side, consumer feelings about their personal financial situation has not changed since 2019, and 29% of consumers will spend more because they have fewer expenses related to travel, dining out, etc. as part of the current departure from experiences.

“Through much of 2020, retail spending as a whole has not seen the big declines expected, pointing to the consumer’s willingness to spend despite economic uncertainty,” says Cohen. “This year consumers appear to have more interest in ‘retail therapy’ and an aspiration to return to normalcy. We also know that, historically, consumers are pre-conditioned when it comes to holiday shopping behaviors, which means even the best promotions won’t drastically alter the core trends of the season.”

Source: The NPD Group/Annual Holiday Study

*Industries Included: Apparel, Footwear, Auto Aftermarket, Watches, Housewares, Small Domestic Appliances, Toys, Video, Sports Accessories, Consumer Technology, Office Supplies, Prestige Beauty, Juvenile Products


About The NPD Group, Inc.
NPD offers data, industry expertise, and prescriptive analytics to help our clients grow their businesses in a changing world. Over 2,000 companies worldwide rely on us to help them measure, predict, and improve performance across all channels, including brick-and-mortar, e-commerce, and B2B. We have services in 19 countries worldwide, with operations spanning the Americas, Europe, and APAC. Practice areas include apparel, appliances, automotive, beauty, books, B2B technology, consumer technology, e-commerce, fashion accessories, food consumption, foodservice, footwear, home, juvenile products, media entertainment, mobile, office supplies, retail, sports, toys, and video games. For more information, visit npd.com. Follow us on Twitter: @npdgroup.

Press Contact:

Marissa Guyduy    

+1 (516) 625 2203

[email protected]

Former Dell and Microsoft Executive Brings Deep Software Development and Digital Expertise to the JRNY Platform and Direct Business

VANCOUVER, Wash.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Oct. 22, 2020– Nautilus, Inc. (NYSE: NLS) today announced that Garry Wiseman has been appointed Senior Vice President and Chief Digital Officer effective Oct. 26, 2020. In this new role, Wiseman will be responsible for the strategy, roadmap and business results for JRNY – the AI-powered, adaptive coaching platform that creates personalized home workouts; providing direction to the Direct to Consumer e-commerce business; and helping to accelerate the company’s ongoing digital transformation.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20201022005308/en/

Wiseman brings over 25 years of product and e-commerce capabilities to the position; as well as expertise in designing and implementing high scale digital experiences at some of the world’s largest technology companies.

Most recently, he was the Senior Vice President of Digital Customer Experience for Dell Technologies. During his tenure, he led the company through a rapid digital transformation; establishing a design centric, customer first focus, which led to significant year-over-year revenue increases, and enhanced CSAT (customer satisfaction score) and eNPS (employee net promoter scores) performance. Wiseman was responsible for Dell.com, The Dell Premier B2B marketplace, all offline sales systems and in-house commerce platforms, as well as leading product management, design, engineering, and content teams.

Prior to Dell, Wiseman held senior leadership roles across product management, e-commerce, and software engineering for global technology companies including Microsoft, eBay and Salesforce. Additionally, he is recognized as an author on 8 US patents.

“Nautilus, a leader in innovative home fitness solutions for nearly forty years, is in the midst of a profound digital transformation. Thus, we are delighted to add a proven e-commerce, technology, software development and overall digital expert to our team, as we focus on superior customer experiences, our personalized connected home fitness products, and accelerating enhancements and scale of our JRNY membership platform,” said Jim Barr, Nautilus, Inc. Chief Executive Officer. “Garry’s customer-focus and demonstrated success in software development and scaling digital and omnichannel platform businesses will further augment our capabilities to bring innovative fitness solutions to consumers, grow our business through strategic technology investments and accelerate our digital transformation.”

Mr. Wiseman commented, “Nautilus, Inc. has some of the world’s best-known fitness brands and a distinct legacy of building high quality in-home fitness products, which are rapidly evolving through immersive, personalized digital experiences. I’m looking forward to joining the Nautilus leadership team as we continue creating inspiring customer journeys and helping people reach their health and fitness goals.”

About Nautilus, Inc. 

Nautilus, Inc. (NYSE:NLS) is the global leader in innovative home fitness solutions. The company’s diverse brand portfolio includes Bowflex®, Nautilus® and Schwinn®, and a broad selection of exercise bikes, cardio equipment and strength training products. Nautilus, Inc. utilizes technology to develop personalized, connected fitness solutions that empower and motivate people to live a healthy lifestyle. The company sells its products through direct and retail channels. Nautilus, Inc. uses the investor relations page of its website (www.nautilusinc.com/investors) to make information available to its investors and the market.

This press release includes forward-looking statements (statements which are not historical facts) within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including: planned investments and initiatives and the anticipated results of such initiatives. Factors that could cause Nautilus, Inc.’s actual results to differ materially from these forward-looking statements include: weaker than expected demand for new or existing products; our ability to timely acquire inventory that meets our quality control standards from sole source foreign manufacturers at acceptable costs; an inability to pass along or otherwise mitigate the impact of raw material price increases and other cost pressures, including unfavorable currency exchange rates; experiencing delays and/or greater than anticipated costs in connection with launch of new products, entry into new markets, or strategic initiatives; our ability to hire, retain and integrate key management personnel, including our new Senior Vice President and Chief Digital Officer; changes in consumer fitness trends; changes in the media consumption habits of our target consumers or the effectiveness of our media advertising; a decline in consumer spending due to unfavorable economic conditions; and softness in the retail marketplace. Additional assumptions, risks and uncertainties are described in detail in our registration statements, reports and other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including the “Risk Factors” set forth in our Annual Report on Form 10-K, as supplemented by our quarterly reports on Form 10-Q. Such filings are available on our website or at www.sec.gov. You are cautioned that such statements are not guarantees of future performance and that our actual results may differ materially from those set forth in the forward-looking statements. We undertake no obligation to publicly update or revise forward-looking statements to reflect subsequent developments, events or circumstances.

Media Contacts: 
John Fread
Nautilus, Inc.
360-859-5815 
[email protected] 

Carey Kerns
The Hoffman Agency
503-754-7975 
[email protected] 

Investor Relations: 
John Mills
ICR, LLC
646-277-1254 
[email protected]

Source: Nautilus, Inc.

Matt Powell
Vice President, Senior Industry Advisor, Sports
@NPDMattPowell

At a high level, I am expecting a challenged holiday season for the sports retail business. There are far too many new variables and too many unpredictable influences bubbling up for me to presume otherwise. It is clear that we are in a very slow recovery from the COVID-19 recession. 

Amazon Prime Days kicked off the holiday season last week, with brands and retailers also following suit by planning their own aggressive promotions to try and ease the Amazon share grab. With that, I expect the October sales results to be very strong due to excessive promotions. Brands and retailers will have to try and hold onto those gains as the season progresses. I believe that when it comes to the sports categories, Black Friday in-store sales will disappoint compared to prior years, as will the weekend business leading up to Christmas.

I expect we will see athletic footwear sales decline in the low single-digits for Q4, as a lack of new products will dampen results. There will be some bright spots, though. Running shoes should outperform the market as consumers continue turning to the activity to stay fit while also remaining socially distant. Brands and retailers must remember that many of these new runners are beginners, not elites, and will therefore be seeking more mainstream product rather than higher-priced running shoes. Another bright spot is in hiking and cold/all weather boots, which have sold well early on including in August, likely driven by the same socially distant fitness forces. Assuming the weather cooperates in that it is cold early and often, it should be a favorable selling season for boots. For the same reasons, the outerwear business should also fare well in the upcoming months. 

On the other hand, some categories face more risks this season. With many states cancelling or postponing their winter sports seasons, this action does not bode well for basketball shoes and sales may disappoint. Sport lifestyle footwear has done fairly well during the pandemic, but brands must be very careful of oversaturating the market.

In terms of sports apparel, I expect activewear sales to decline in the low single-digits for Q4. While consumers are purchasing more comfy clothing these days, the overall softness in the apparel market will keep growth in check. 

Turning to the hard goods side, sports equipment has experienced an unprecedented sales lift during the pandemic. Sales of bikes and home fitness equipment, in particular, have surged. I’m confident that sales growth will continue through the holiday season as demand remains high and manufacturers and retailers boost their inventory; however, I do expect the growth rate will slow down. In many cases, these purchases are “one and done” – if you bought a bike in June, you don’t need a new one in November, and the treadmill purchased over the summer won’t need to be replaced for years to come. The opportunities for these markets lie in complimentary purchases for existing customers – products consumers want or need as part of their riding or exercise routine, for example – and in acquiring new customers. 

There are likely new customers out there who are considering an equipment purchase, and for the most part, these consumers are beginners to the activity as opposed to elites. Brands and retailers must market differently to these newcomers, with products best suited to their abilities and skill levels, which is quite a pivot from the elites who make up their base.

Entry level golf equipment, racquet sports, and basketball equipment have also been stars during the pandemic and should continue to thrive during the holidays. On the other hand, scholastic sports equipment—namely football, basketball, lacrosse, soccer, and volleyball—will struggle.

While I expect the sports retail business to face challenges overall this holiday season, many of the products that have been selling well in recent months will likely continue to do so.

***

For more information or to speak with Matt Powell, contact me at [email protected] or 516-625-2203.


About The NPD Group, Inc.
NPD offers data, industry expertise, and prescriptive analytics to help our clients grow their businesses in a changing world. Over 2,000 companies worldwide rely on us to help them measure, predict, and improve performance across all channels, including brick-and-mortar, e-commerce, and B2B. We have services in 19 countries worldwide, with operations spanning the Americas, Europe, and APAC. Practice areas include apparel, appliances, automotive, beauty, books, B2B technology, consumer technology, e-commerce, fashion accessories, food consumption, foodservice, footwear, home, juvenile products, media entertainment, mobile, office supplies, retail, sports, toys, and video games. For more information, visit npd.com. Follow us on Twitter: @npdgroup.

VANCOUVER, Wash.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Oct. 14, 2020– Nautilus, Inc. (the “Company”) (NYSE:NLS), the innovation leader in home fitness for over 30 years, announced today that the Company has completed the sale of its commercially focused Octane Fitness business to TRUE Fitness Technology, Inc. (TRUE) for $25.0 million. TRUE also assumed $3 million of warranty liabilities and $0.5 million of vendor recourse lease obligations. The transaction was signed and completed on October 14, 2020.

“The sale of Octane Fitness aligns with the larger strategic enhancements we are making as a business to streamline our operations and accelerate the transformation of the consumer side of our business”, said Jim Barr, CEO of Nautilus, Inc. “We are focused on dramatically enhancing connected in-home fitness and continuing to provide our customers with cutting-edge technology and a superior customer experience. We will use the proceeds of this transaction and our improving balance sheet to continue the transformation of our leading fitness offerings.”

William Blair served as the exclusive financial advisor to Nautilus for the transaction.

About Nautilus, Inc. 

Nautilus, Inc. (NYSE:NLS) is the global leader in innovative home fitness solutions. The company’s diverse brand portfolio includes Bowflex®, Nautilus®, and Schwinn®, and a broad selection of exercise bikes, cardio equipment and strength training products. Nautilus, Inc. utilizes technology to develop personalized, connected fitness solutions that empower and motivate people to live a healthy lifestyle. The company sells its products through direct and retail channels. Nautilus, Inc. uses the investor relations page of its website (www.nautilusinc.com/investors) to make information available to its investors and the market.

About TRUE Fitness 

TRUE has been manufacturing premium fitness equipment since 1981. TRUE offers a customer-first approach, while designing, building, and servicing excellent cardio, strength, and functional training equipment. Learn how TRUE’s responsive service, superior quality, and product design expertise make TRUE your trusted partner in fitness before, during, and after the sale. To learn more visit truefitness.com.

Forward Looking Statements

This press release includes forward-looking statements (statements which are not historical facts) within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. All of these forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that may change at any time. Factors that could cause Nautilus, Inc.’s actual expectations to differ materially from these forward-looking statements include risks related to: not completely realizing the anticipated benefits from the sale; changes in the financial markets, including changes in credit markets and interest rates; and changes in consumer fitness trends. Additional assumptions, risks and uncertainties are described in detail in our registration statements, reports and other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including the “Risk Factors” set forth in our Annual Report on Form 10-K, as supplemented by our quarterly reports on Form 10‑Q. Such filings are available on our website or at www.sec.gov. You are cautioned that such statements are not guarantees of future performance and that our actual results may differ materially from those set forth in the forward-looking statements. We undertake no obligation to publicly update or revise forward-looking statements to reflect subsequent developments, events or circumstances.

Media Contacts: 
John Fread
Nautilus, Inc.
360-859-5815 
[email protected]

Carey Kerns
The Hoffman Agency
503-754-7975 
[email protected]

Investor Relations: 
John Mills
ICR, LLC
646-277-1254 
[email protected]

Source: Nautilus, Inc.

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