If you search “weights” on Amazon ($AMZN) right now, you’ll see a lot of things that are not weights. You’ll see waist trainers and resistance bands and scales and yoga pants, but no weights. There's a weight bench, and a weight rack, but no weights. Since the start of COVID-19 quarantine, free weights have been hard to come by on Amazon and elsewhere.
Fitness enthusiasts are trying to maintain their workout regimens without the gym, and that means buying out Amazon and building makeshift home studios. Last month, weights ranked number 6 among Amazon’s top best-selling products while they were in stock. (On the chart below, a lower data point signifies a higher ranking.)
In March, there were seven different kinds of weights on the best-sellers list for the first time since we began tracking Amazon in 2016. There were five last month.
Kettlebells ranked at number 16 among Amazon’s best-selling products in April, a new record.
Meanwhile, as people invest in their at-home equipment, gyms like Equinox ($PRIVATE:EQUINOX) are seeing less attention. Since March, Equinox’s Facebook mentions have plummeted 96%. Blink Fitness’s mentions have fallen by 87%.
Amazon will continue to restock weights as demand increases. And if people can bulk up at home, having equipment delivered to their doors, they might not be rushing back to the gym any time soon.
About the Data:
Thinknum tracks companies using information they post online - jobs, social and web traffic, product sales, and app ratings - and creates data sets that measure factors like hiring, revenue, and foot traffic. Data sets may not be fully comprehensive (they only account for what is available on the web), but they can be used to gauge performance factors like staffing and sales.
