April 5, 2020 - Post

8 Charts That Explain COVID-19’s Impact on the Fitness Industry

While tracking the effect of COVID-19 on the fitness industry, we began compiling key data points to better understand the fallout.

From gyms and studios to at-home and on-demand options, consumer behavior—and an entire industry—has shifted almost overnight.

The following charts help to explain that shift, providing context on the broader impact.

Source: Foursquare

According to Foursquare, visits to gyms nationally are down 64% from the week ending February 19 to the week ending March 27. As people find alternative ways to stay moving, visits to trails were up 34% nationally and visits to parks were up 10% nationally, over the same time period.

Source: ClassPass

Starting in mid-March, ClassPass’s global revenue fell by 96%. With 90% of the company’s 30,000 studio partners closed, bookings declined by 100% month-over-month. The result saw the company cut 53% of its staff, with 22% laid off and 31% furloughed.

Source: Yelp

Gym closures have led to a 500% increase in interest in home fitness equipment, according to Yelp’s data. From connected hardware to free weights, at-home equipment is as popular as guns, ammunition, hand sanitizer, and toilet paper.

Source: appfigures

As we hunkered down, app downloads began to slow. But, as appfigures pointed out, Health & Fitness was an outlier in its continued growth.

Source: Apptopia

Looking closer, big-name workout apps like Nike Training Club, Map My Run, and Strava, saw an uptick in new users. According to apptopia, Peloton responded by making their app free for 90-days. The hope is that these free users convert to paid app subscribers, or they go on to purchase a piece of connected equipment.

Source: appfigures

While downloads have surged, Peloton’s corona-boom could backfire. Will people continue using their app or bike, and continue paying for a subscription, once they can leave the house again? If not, the company could be forced to answer tough questions about the stickiness of its product.

Source: SEMrush

Under quarantine, people are searching for convenient and healthy food options. According to SEMrush, a data trends provider, the food and grocery delivery services with the greatest increase over the past two weeks include:

Daily Harvest – 68.52% increase
Uber Eats – 53.97% increase
Green Chef – 50% increase
HelloFresh – 43.75% increase

Source: Stackline

Beyond fitness equipment, consumers are also seeking out multi-vitamins, health trackers, nutrition bars, and other wellness-related products in increased numbers.