Gyms have been open for months, but not all folks may be comfortable going back. Companies that sell fitness equipment, including locally, are taking advantage of a boom in home gyms.
The start of the pandemic and the stay at home order meant 16 to 18 hour days for Omni Fitness owner Justin Sullivan and his staff of three. As many industries and small businesses struggle to recoup revenue under safety restrictions, the opposite is happening for businesses like Chanhassan’s Omni Fitness, which is doing between two- and three-times its sales for an average week.
“There were days at the start of it that we did more sales in just that one day than we would do in an entire month before that,” Sullivan said. “Every week since March, even now, is at least equal to a traditional Black Friday week.”
Sullivan estimates he’s sold 1 million pounds of dumbbells and 2 million pounds of plates without having to raise prices in a high-demand period.
He said there are customers picking up dumbbells and space-saving equipment, and others who have committed a couple thousands dollars to plates, a squat rack, a barbell and more.
It’s not like how it was in March, but Sullivan said it’s still “insanely busy,” particularly for dumbbells and plates.
“We’ve got some good partners overseas,” he said. “I have a company I use, they do all the inspections and then I have them at the factories overseeing stuff and really pushing them. It’ll cost me a little bit more here or there to keep factory workers working longer, that type of thing. We’re at the point now where we’ve been able to build up enough squat racks and benches to have in stock, but plates, dumbbells, stuff like that, the day they come in they’re usually already sold before they arrive.”
According to MDH data, from June to Nov. 5, gyms have accounted for 48 outbreaks and more than 700 confirmed cases, trailing only weddings. That, and the investment some have committed to their own home gym might make it a longer-term solution.
“We’ve had people building (gyms) in their apartments,” Sullivan said. “It’s convenient. This way you have a fallback. If you want to go to the gym that’s great. I support all our gyms and I hope stuff gets back to normal so they can make money because a lot of gyms are hurting. But if you have a home gym, too, during this time or if they shut down things again you always have something there. Or if you have a long day and don’t want to drive to the gym or drop the kids off or do whatever you have to do, you just workout at home.”
