JAXJOX shipping delays highlight logistics issues connected fitness companies face

JAXJOX announced its InteractiveStudio product a few months ago and the entire kit was scheduled to be released in November. It’s now scheduled to arrive in December. The connected dumbbells are still facing long shipping delays as well.

I am still waiting on my product to arrive, and JAXJOX recently advised me that Best Buy would be able to deliver my order much faster than the JAXJOX online store.

I proceeded to cancel my original order and bought it from Best Buy instead. It’s scheduled to ship by November 19th.

What this news highlights more than anything is the key logistics challenges that companies like Peloton, Echelon, and others face developing and shipping products to customers. It’s been well documented that Peloton is facing extreme problems getting products in the hands of customers. Right now, Bike is on a five to ten-week delay. Bike+ delivery may exceed twelve weeks. Simply put, there is no easy answer to build, ship, and deliver products that weigh hundreds of pounds on any scale.

It makes sense that JAXJOX would rely heavily on a retailer like Best Buy to handle distribution. I wouldn’t even be surprised if JAXJOX eventually shutters direct-to-consumer in favor of working only with retailers to sell its products. It would allow them to focus on making great content and products while letting someone else handle getting them into the hands of consumers.

Peloton CEO John Foley discussed why Peloton avoided working with retailers and choosing a direct-to-consumer strategy. While I believe that Peloton chose the right decision in the long term, in the short term, I am sure they’d love to outsource shipping and distribution to a retailer with more experience.