Peloton announces job cuts and CEO Barry McCarthy's resignation amidst restructuring efforts and financial struggles. The company continues its shift from luxury exercise equipment to health technology. (AP File)

- Peloton is undergoing a significant rebranding, as it cuts about 400 jobs worldwide.
- Sales began to slow in 2021 as vaccines allowed people to roam more freely.
- The job reductions amount to approximately 15% of its global headcount.
Share
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
Peloton is cutting about 400 jobs worldwide as part of a restructuring effort and its CEO Barry McCarthy is stepping down after two years as the company continues to work on turning around its business.
Shares slid 12%, to $2.81.
Peloton has been working on a significant rebranding since last year, shifting its identity as a seller of luxury exercise bikes and equipment to health technology for all.
Impact of the Pandemic on Peloton
The New York company experienced incredible sales growth during the height of the coronavirus pandemic. Its share price multiplied by more than five times in 2020 amid lockdowns that made its pricey bikes and treadmills popular among customers who pay a monthly fee to participate in interactive workouts.
But sales began to slow in 2021 as vaccines allowed people to roam more freely from their homes, including visits to the gym.
Financial Struggles and Job Cuts
The company lost $1.26 billion in the fiscal year ended in June and an additional $350 million in the six months ended in December. Free cash flow, or the money left over after paying the costs of running the business, was a negative $470 million in fiscal 2023.
The losses continue. Peloton reported Thursday that for the third quarter it lost $167.3 million, or 45 cents per share, While that’s better than the loss of $275.9 million, or 79 cents per share, that it reported a year earlier, the performance fell short of the loss of 39 cents per share that analysts polled by Zacks Investment Research expected. Revenue totaled $717.7 million, below Wall Street’s estimate of $719.9 million.
It lowered its full-year revenue guidance by $25 million to a range of $2.675 billion to $2.7 billion, a dip from last year’s $2.8 billion in revenue.
Related Story: Tesla Wants Shareholders to Reinstate CEO Elon Musk’s $56 Billion Pay ...
Restructuring Efforts and Leadership Changes
Peloton Interactive Inc. said Thursday that the job reductions amount to approximately 15% of its global headcount. The restructuring efforts, which are expected to lower its annual run-rate expenses by more than $200 million by fiscal 2025’s end, also include continuing to close retail showrooms.
The job cuts are just the latest round for the company, which announced in October 2022 that it was cutting about 500 jobs on top of the nearly 800 layoffs it made in August of that year.
McCarthy, who is also stepping down from his president and board member posts, will remain with Peloton as a strategic adviser through the end of the year.
McCarthy had taken over the CEO post from founder John Foley to right a business that had suffered from numerous stumbles, from marketing missteps to recalls. During his tenure, he made a hard push to shift Peloton’s focus from high-priced hardware, to software and a fee-based app.
In a note sent to Peloton’s team this morning, McCarthy said that the newly announced job cuts were a moment of “dealing with the world as it is and not as we want it to be.”
“Hard as the decision has been to make additional headcount cuts, Peloton simply had no other way to bring its spending in line with its revenue,” he wrote.
Peloton said that Chairperson Karen Boone and director Chris Bruzzo will serve as interim co-CEOs while a search is conducted for its next CEO. Board member Jay Hoag will become the new chairperson.
RELATED TOPICS:
Fresno County CHP Arrest Two in Interstate 5 Drug, Gun, and Counterfeit Money Bust
1 hour ago
Where Trade Talks Stand With Major US Partners Ahead of Tariffs-Hike Deadline
2 hours ago
DOJ Announces Arrest, Indictments in North Korean IT Worker Scheme
2 hours ago
Fresno Man Arrested in Clovis for Sex-Related Crimes Against Minor
2 hours ago
Suspect Identified in Ambush Shooting That Killed 2 Idaho Firefighters
2 hours ago
S&P 500, Nasdaq Close at Record Highs, Cap Best Quarter in Over a Year
3 hours ago
Musk Vows to Punish Lawmakers Who Back Trump’s Spending Bill
32 minutes ago
Categories

Musk Vows to Punish Lawmakers Who Back Trump’s Spending Bill

Fresno Man Sentenced to Nearly 6 Years for $4.2 Million Tech Startup Fraud

Bryan Kohberger Pleads Guilty in Murders of Four Idaho Students, ABC News Reports

Fresno County CHP Arrest Two in Interstate 5 Drug, Gun, and Counterfeit Money Bust
