Fitness equipment sales spike after order forces gyms closed

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – While some small businesses are struggling amid the coronavirus pandemic, other businesses have noticed an uptick in sales.

Keina Worrell, the manager at Southeast Fitness Equipment in Jacksonville, said her phone has been ringing off the hook since the governor’s executive order that forced gyms to close. Many people are looking for equipment to workout.

“Most of the people calling are regular gym-goers and that gym routine is their sanity or their safety net, so being able to still get that work out in is a way for them to cope with being stuck inside," Worrell said.

She said dumbbells and cardio equipment are the top sellers.

The company has sold out of dumbbells in its Orlando, Jacksonville and Tampa locations, and there is a four to six week wait to get a new shipment of dumbbells. Worrell said the next hottest items being sold are treadmills, ellipticals and recumbent bikes – machines anyone can set up in any room of their house.

“The home gyms have also been selling pretty well because people aren’t sure how long this is going to take and even once it’s over, they’re concerned about getting back into the gym," Worrell said.

Managers at Target and Academy Sports said they too are also seeing a significant spike in sales of fitness equipment.


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