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The growing interest in Peloton over the past year is no secret, but the connected fitness company has faced its fair share of challenges.
Deliveries were notoriously delayed, a commercial was decried as sexist and cringeworthy, and classes were called out as racially tone-deaf.
But there’s been good news, too. The company reported its first $1 billion sales quarter for the three months ending Dec. 31 and said it would invest $100 million in correcting supply chain issues. It also acquired Precor for $420 million, gaining U.S. manufacturing capabilities.
Last week, CEO John Foley told Bloomberg that Peloton’s production capacity grew 700% over the last year and that supply is finally close to meeting demand. Peloton now estimates a shipping time of eight-to-10 weeks for its Bike+.
On the heels of the company’s success, new challenges have arisen.
On Friday, Foley released a letter saying a child was killed in an accident involving a Peloton treadmill, and that a small number of other children had been hurt in Peloton-related incidents. NBC News reported that the Consumer Product Safety Commission is investigating.
“We are always looking for new ways to ensure that you have the best experience with our products, and we are currently assessing ways to reinforce our warnings about these critical safety precautions to hopefully prevent future accidents,” the letter said.
Overall sales of health and fitness equipment more than doubled to $2.3 billion between March and October, according to The NDP Group. Peloton continues to move forward with plans for an Australian expansion and discussions on products for strength training and rowing.
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