Peloton reveals new measures to cut costs

Peloton Interactive Inc (NASDAQ: PTON) is up 15% on Friday after the connected fitness company made a string of announcements that reiterated its commitment to “profitability”.

Peloton is cutting jobs

The Nasdaq-listed firm says it will cut 780 jobs (including in-house support team) and shutter an undisclosed number of retail locations to minimise costs. It also partnered with 3^rd party providers to quit last-mile logistics. In a memo to employees, CEO Barry McCarthy wrote:

The shift of our final mile delivery to 3PLs will reduce our per-product delivery costs by up to 50%. These expanded partnerships mean we can ensure we have the ability to scale up and down as volume fluctuates.

Once a pandemic darling, the Peloton stock is currently down more than 65% versus its year-to-date high in early February. Still, Wall Street currently has a consensus “overweight” rating on PTON.

Peloton is raising prices

Store closures, as per Peloton, will start in 2023. On top of that, the fitness equipment manufacturer announced a $500 and $800 increase in the price of its Bike+ and Tread, respectively.

Earlier this year, PTON terminated in-house production and doubled down on its agreement with Taiwan-based Rexon Industrial. CEO McCarthy has been announcing these moves since he joined in February to put the company on the path to profitability.

Peloton Interactive is expected to report its results for the fiscal fourth quarter on August 25^th. Consensus is for it to lose 71 cents a share (unchanged from last year) on $722 million in revenue (down 23% year-over-year).