Last month, we took a look at what appeared to be waning interest in fitness trackers. At the time, usage of Fitbit apps was on a steady decline, but sales ranking data for the Fitbit Versa — a new device that had fitness nerds excited for the future of tracking — were healthy.
As of today, however, not only has Fitbit app usage has continued its steep decline, but consumer interest in the Fitbit Versa has dropped of as well.
The Fitbit Versa in black is currently the newest and most-marketed Fitbit device. After a healthy incline in sales rank to the 155th most-popular item at Best Buy after its launch in early June, sales ranks have settled down. The device currently sits at spot 192.
The same device in a peach and rose gold design saw a similarly promising uptick in sales in early June, but it quickly descended to near the 500th most-popular item at Best Buy.
But sales of a new device aren't the whole story. It would be fair to assume that since people have already bought into the Fitbit ecosystem, that app usage would remain flat or even be on the rise. Unforunately for Fitbit, that isn't the case. It turns out that the downtrend we spotted last month has continued. What was once a top-200 most-used app via Facebook login has now slipped into the 330+ range after seeing a new years' resolution spike in early 2018.
The Nike + Apple Watch, a collaboration between Nike and the market-leading Apple Watch, was released around the same time. It has failed to gain popularity, only reaching a Best Buy overall sales rank of around 2,500. But, to be fair, the $279 Nike+ Apple Watch is a relatively expensive proposition when compared to Best Buy's best-selling Fitbit Charge 2 Activity Tracker (in black on black), which sells for just $119.95.
That all said, it does appear as though the fitness tracking salad days may be over, and we could just be left with the more hardcore users — road cyclists included — who have integrated the notion of quantifying their workouts into their daily lives.
For now, we'll just be left with reminders to stand up.
Keep in mind that Best Buy's "best seller" tag for the Fitbit Charge 2 is its sales over time — it's been for sale at Best Buy since the fall of 2016 when it quickly hopped to becoming a top-200 product for the retailer. As of today it has descended to the 300s after a steady descent beginning last fall.
The second best-selling Fitbit - the Charge in black and silver (at the same $119 price point), has seen a similarly steady sales cycle in slow decline with waning interest beginning last fall.
Not all hope is lost for activity tracking, however. Strava, the popular bike segment-mashing tracker, has seen usage growth since the new year.
