​Peloton Exercise Equipment

In many of our past store shops we took you through large locations.  At Home, Buc-ees’, and Ikea.  For this months shop we thought we would take you to one of the hottest concepts in the country, Peloton exercise equipment.
 
For those of you sleeping under a rock and not watching television commercials, Peloton is the latest craze in exercise.  You get to ride your Peloton exercise bike connected to a coach, others in the riding community or by yourself on rides they have filmed around the world. 
 
The people I know that own Peloton exercycles all swear by them.  All of them.  Not one of them wants to trade it in.  I was surprised by how many people I know that own this product.  They love the coaching, they love, the competition, and the fitness they get from the machine.
 
So, I went to one of the top fashion malls in the country, Aventura Mall in Miami, to find a Peloton store.  I was surprised by the store because it is not really a store, but a pop-up store that has been there about three years now. This store is in the middle of a courtyard area of the mall.  There is no roof, but there are open walls around the kiosk, so it does look like a store…sort of. 
 
When I got to the store, I asked the sales person how long they had been there, and he said three years.  I asked if they were looking at a permanent location and he said they were.   (Like most malls in America today there are several vacancies, so that was suspect to me).  The store has three pieces of merchandise in it.  Three, two exercycles and one treadmill.  That is, it.  No shirts, no clip-on shoes, no swag of any type.  And remember, I told you that people that buy this product are fanatics. 
 
Here is where things became interesting.  I asked the salesperson (there were three people working in this 15 x 30 store) to explain the exercycle to me.  He did a great job.  He explained all the programs, he explained the pricing, he explained and demonstrated some of the different rides you could do, he even explained the studio they use in New York that you could go and see.  Technically he demonstrated that he knew everything about the exercycle.  He lauded the Peloton community and how you could use an exercycle in any of their stores to get your ride in if you were on the road.  (not this one by the way because it was a kiosk).  This sales person knew this product as well as any person I have ever encountered in the retail environment. 
 
There were just two small things missing.  1-He never asked me to get up on the exercycle.  I was wearing tennis shoes, a nice tee-shirt, and wind pants.  No reason I could not have gotten up on the exercycle and gone on one of their easier rides to take “ownership” of the bike.  I realize I am 70 years old, but I am pretty fit, and I have the where with all to be able to purchase this $2,200 piece of merchandise.  But our well informed “sales” person never asked me to get up on the bike.  2-He never asked for the order, never.  He asked for my contact information (which I gave him) we chatted after he told me about the bike, but he never AFTO.  I even gave him another chance.  I asked about the monthly subscription fee.  Our friendly clerk (because he obviously is not a sales person) explained the program and the advantages of paying annually, but still no close. 
 
And, he never asked to show me the treadmill.  I wandered over there, but there was no excitement.  None.  And the other two clerks kept themselves busy talking to each other. 
 
I tell you all of this to highlight the importance of teaching your sales team how to sell.  The importance of practicing every day with your sales team. 
 
Now for the good news.  The Peloton team did follow up with me.  They both sent email and called.  They were professional, curious, and politely persistent.  They asked for the order twice.  I did not buy one as it would not fit where I live.  But I can tell you, it is a first-class product.  Too bad it is not for sale in Miami.
 
 

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