Tonal partners with Nordstrom to expand retail footprint

Tonal, a smart home gym and personal trainer company, has partnered with Nordstrom to expand it retail footprint. Beginning this month, Tonal will launch in the Women’s Active department in 40 Nordstrom locations across 20 states in the U.S., including 12 states where Tonal had not yet had a physical location. The partnership will be brought to life through a 50-square-foot concept where visitors can experience a full Tonal demo and try a workout firsthand.

Tonal is currently a leader in the connected strength training market with more than 90 percent market share in the category. Tonal has been able to adapt their products so well through adaptive resistance technology that learns from the user, for a more personalized and more effective full-body workout.

“It’s a natural fit for us to partner with one of the most respected retail brands in the world and introduce Tonal to Nordstrom customers across the country,” said Christopher Stadler, Tonal’s chief marketing officer, in a statement. “We are excited for more people to experience the power of digital weight, and this partnership underscores our continued retail momentum and broadening our reach to new customers.”

“We know customers are looking for inspired workouts that elevate their wellness ambitions, and we’re excited to offer them a dynamic new digital fitness experience through our partnership with Tonal,” said Lori Marten, Nordstrom vice president and divisional merchandise manager, in a statement. “Our goal is to help customers discover the latest active gear for style, performance and everything in-between, and we look forward to making it easier than ever to discover everything in one place so they can look and feel their best.”

The global home fitness equipment market was one of the few things that actually saw growth during the coronavirus pandemic with gyms closed nationwide. Traditional retailers are now working on bringing the fitness market into their business model. Nordstrom has become a retail partner of choice for direct-to-consumer brands to grow their business in regional markets. In December 2020, the department store chain launched a new active microsite responding to how customers shop for activewear, athleisure and gear throughout the year. The site enables customers to search for active brands by activity or category for the whole family, in addition to finding fitness and wellness advice, expert tips and product and performance guides that support their fitness and wellness goals. The microsite was a first key step to launching the company’s growth strategy for the 2021 year.

Store rollouts will begin in March 2021, including at top Nordstrom flagship stores in Seattle, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago and Dallas. The price point for Tonal is 2995 dollars and can be financed for as low as 149 a month, including subscription.