Home fitness equipment suppliers may be lockdown winners

When SA was thrust into its first lockdown in March 2020, everyone, including this author, scrambled to try to make sense of what would happen to the fitness industry. We wrote that apps would become more important, virtual training would boom, and while large chains would probably survive, small, independent gyms were likely to suffer.

And we were right. And it was not just fitness. Drive around one day, and pop into smaller retail centres that usually host quaint restaurants or niche retailers and it will be evident — some didn’t make it, and it is sad. The influx of second-hand commercial grade gym equipment during the lockdown told a similar story — family gyms closing their doors for the last time. Sad — but an opportunity to rush and procure a Gold’s Gym grade Genesis bench for next to nothing!

The other side of the argument is exciting — if you aren’t yourself a business victim of the lockdown — because it speaks about opportunity. Indeed, we have often heard that we are a resilient bunch, that as South Africans we have an uncanny ability to weather storms and emerge with unifying songs or hashtags.

Maybe that’s true, but a more logical assessment would be that we are on our own. We really are. Where a Dutch or German would feel more sheltered by government support, we know — as South Africans — that if we do not help ourselves, no-one will. And that is not a snide attempt at explaining the looting!

And so, it was with great interest reading an opinion piece in ventureburn by the MD of SME financier Retail Capital.

Miguel Da Silva wrote: “As a funding partner, we have visibility of the performance of SMEs in almost all sectors, and as such, we pick up on trends very quickly. This extends beyond spikes and dips in businesses taking out funding but includes actual business activity and revenue trends. The findings are exciting because they provide the template of success and offer a hint at which traits will likely see businesses thrive post-pandemic.”

The opinion piece highlights five sectors that despite the odds, and because of the pandemic, are actually thriving. He writes: “Sports equipment and electronics sales have soared — this industry is a great example of how SMEs are creatively using a combination of online classes and tutorials to drive product sales of their merchandise.”

He also writes: “Many SMEs learnt that by building strong, trust-based relationships with their customers during the pandemic, they had a solid base from which to leverage technology to benefit their bottom line.”

That’s good news — not just for fitness, but for SA. If these are local businesses, and if they are building a solid customer base while being competitive on price and quality, then we should all celebrate.

The author decided, in the height of the lockdown, to build a strength-training facility at home exclusively supporting small and local suppliers. It worked, and the customer service stood out — these people, passionate about weights and equipment, went the extra mile every time.

Let’s be clear, though. The established players in the space have the best stock and the quality of their equipment is as good as anything, anywhere in the world. Rather than list them, a simple google search for “gym equipment suppliers” will give enough options to keep you busy for a morning. It signals what appears to be a vibrant industry — including big players with a global footprint to smaller, local businesses. May their businesses and the industry thrive.

What’s more exciting, for the author at least, are the micro enterprises and emerging manufacturers — using hyperlocal skills — that before the pandemic would have been drowned out. However, much like the comments of Da Silva, they’ve realised that technology can get them onto the devices of consumers, giving them a fighting chance. The fourth industrial revolution has given them a spot at the table.

Looking through Facebook Marketplace one will easily find one-man shows that source good, used equipment, manufacturers of new weights and equipment, and guys who have been able to source imported goods and sell them at a reduced cost. And this should be celebrated as it will allow a larger pool of people to build home gyms while keeping dominant players honest on price.

The truth, though, is that they are catering to different markets. A locally built power rack and bench, or 20kg plates that are moulded in a factory up the road, don’t look as well-built and solid as the big brands. And, truthfully, they aren’t. But they provide decent-enough quality for more people.

Those that have the means will continue to buy top-end equipment that pushes the boundaries of technology and design. Technogym’s Personal Line of equipment is beautiful.

There are no losers, just some measured hope that the broader home fitness industry may well be a winner when we finally emerge from this pandemic. And that deserves everyone’s support.