Apple Expands Fitness+ as Brick-and-Mortar Gyms Bounce Back


    Apple Fitness+ is expanding to 15 new countries as the at-home fitness movement persists alongside the return of gyms.

    The company with a $2.47 trillion market cap has paired its subscription workout program with its signature wearable, offering six months of Apple Fitness+ with an Apple Watch purchase. The Watch tracks biometrics such as heart rate, blood oxygen levels, movement activity, sleep, and more.

    Apple’s program will roll  out in Brazil, Mexico, Indonesia, Saudi Arabia, and across Europe on Nov. 3.

    The expansion comes during a time when many consumers are now choosing to take a hybrid approach to working out — at home and returning to gyms.

    • Peloton is ramping up efforts to bring in a broader audience. The company dropped the price of its connected bike to $1,495 from $1,895 in August and spent 24.5% of its revenue on sales and marketing in the second quarter.
    • The at-home fitness market is still growing, with equipment sales up 20% year-over-year in August, according to the NPD Group. Fitness equipment sales vaulted to $3.7 billion in 2020, 85% above the previous year.

    Brick-and-mortar gyms are making a comeback, too. 

    Foot traffic to chains such as Planet Fitness, 24 Fitness, Gold’s Gym, and Crunch was up 82.2% year-over-year in the third quarter, according to Placer.ai. 

    However, activity was still 9.1% below the same period in 2019.





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