The ProForm treadmills for 2010 are out. Labeling a unit with the year like this may be a first for the exercise equipment industry. Car companies have always designated the year of their new models. Some would contend that designating the year is simply to induce more desire for the “latest” model. That may be true, but what happens when the exercise equipment is no longer new? It seems like it would be much more difficult to sell. Why the change?
It helps to know something about ProForm. ProForm has manufactured hundreds of models in the past couple of decades. These models often have little to distinguish one from another. Buyers have sometimes gotten frustrated trying to figure out the differences, when the main differences may merely be the name or model number. Such similarities allow manufacturers to test market names, model numbers, warranty packages, and other features. It can also mean that an older model doesn’t become “old.” This may be good business, buy then why has ProForm decided to call their new models the “New 2010 Models?”
ProForm has have sometimes been criticized for its quality. Apparently, they have heard this criticism because their latest line shows substantial improvement over previous models. ProForm has been the best-selling home treadmill for awhile, so they must have had good quality for during at least some of that time. However, ProForm’s 2010 line definitely shows a step up in quality. These models feature bigger belts, bigger motors, higher weigh capacities, and longer warranties. The prices are also bigger, but not by a lot. ProForm seems to have decided to produce fewer models, but with higher quality. Their new models introduce iFit Live, which provides the ability to connect to the Internet and run races against your Facebook friends along “actual” routes shown on your screen. iFit Live will not appeal to everyone, but it shows that ProForm is going for the technological lead.
It seems that ProForm treadmills attained the number one position by figuring out who the typical home treadmill user is. The typical user seems to weigh less than 250 lbs, wants to walk or run lightly for up to an hour per day a few times a week, and doesn’t want to spend a lot of money. That user is the sweet spot for ProForm. It seems that ProForm is trying to change its image from popular and affordable to popular and high quality. This could also take some business from the next level up, those treadmills that sell for about $1,000, and expand the ProForm range from basic to high quality.
It could also be that ProForm has designated the year of their models because of new manufacturing methods. Most ProForms are assembled in the United States. U.S. manufacturing companies have undergone dramatic challenges in the past several years. Those companies that still exist have adapted and streamlined their processes. One of the ways this is done is through keeping “just in time” inventory. In the old days, a manufacturer filled a warehouse with products and then tried to sell them. That can be expensive. However, the new way is to gauge demand as closely as possible and then make only as many units as can be sold within a few days. This lean and mean process is part of the reason automobile manufacturers can label their models with the years. When the year is over, those year’s models will no longer be made! It seems that ProForm has adapted these modern manufacturing methods to the treadmill industry.
