GearTrends to launch second fitness magazine

On the heels of the overwhelmingly successful launch in August of its GearTrends Fitness annual magazine, the GearTrends Network has announced it will put out a second fitness-focused publication — a business resource called GearTrends FitBiz.

The first FitBiz will mail March 1, 2004, targeted to help retailers and manufacturers assess the just-completed busy season and prepare and plan for the coming year.

GearTrends FitBiz will focus on how the industry does business and how it can better do business. To help readers better digest the FitBiz business resources and how-to columns, it will be presented in a more compactly designed format, but one that will retain the great look, feel and quality of the summer annual magazine.

As a completely different publication from the GearTrends summer annual magazine, FitBiz will present such practical topics as reports from retailers about what’s selling and what’s not, retailer and manufacturer profiles, and top retailer lists. Other columns will focus on practical topics for the industry’s day-to-day needs, such as how to educate consumers once they’re in the store, what surveys and research say about trends, ways to best use email and websites, and sales tips from the front. The summer annual will continue to analyze specific equipment categories and broader industry issues.

Kudos for this summer’s premiere GearTrends fitness annual were overwhelming:

“After reading just one article, it was clear that this magazine was different than other fitness industry publications,” said industry veteran Jhan Dolphin. “It wasn’t just about pumping up the companies who bought the biggest ads — with predictive advertorial. These people were actually reporting! It is truly refreshing to see quality journalism in this industry. I didn’t agree with everything, but it made me think. I read it cover to cover, and I look forward to the next!”

“It’s refreshing to see the insight you have,” said a marketing manager for one major equipment manufacturer. “You actually know what you’re talking about. It’s clear you’ve been in the industry for a long time, and you guys obviously know what this market is about.”

Finally, most simply, from Chris Koth, national sales manager for Schiek Sports: “Thanks for the quality work.”