THE GEARTRENDS® FITNESS SUMMER 2005 MAGAZINENo other magazine is more widely read, more frequently added to retail staff libraries, and more consistently passed from buyer-to-buyer and even on to store staff than the GearTrends® magazines are -- Summer Outdoor, Winter Outdoor and Fitness.

Welcome to the GearTrends® Fitness Summer 2005 magazine -- issued to the trade August 2005. As a GearTrends® website visitor - you now have direct access to the same market-leading editorial, feature articles and product information that industry professionals have come to rely on. To maintain the quality that our readers and members have come to expect in GearTrends® publications, we are providing all magazines only in high quality Acrobat PDF format. (You can download the FREE Acrobat Reader here)

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COVER | WELCOME | TOC | CONTRIBUTORS

12 FROM PASSION TO PROFIT | SPECIAL FEATURE
Fitness is evolving into a big business as the passionate innovators give way to investors and corporate enterprises. What's it all mean? Consolidation, of course.

16 GET IN THE GAME | EXERGAMING
As the previously divergent worlds of electronic games and exercise collide, perhaps exergaming is a category the fitness industry should pay more attention to so it can attract new -- and younger -- customers while keeping current ones interested.

20 NERVES OF STEEL | SPECIAL FEATURE
With prices on the rise for the last two years, GearTrends® looks at the effect steel pricing is having on the fitness industry and how it's impacting the bottom line of retailers and manufacturers.

26 MERCHANDISING: LIGHTEN UP!
Proper store lighting can get your customers in the mood...to buy!

28 NO PASSING FANCY | ELLIPTICALS
After 10 years on the market, the elliptical is still going strong as one of the hottest categories in cardio equipment, and it's now even breathing down the neck of the treadmill for the top spot.

32 PASSION PAYS OFF | MARKETING
Stand behind a cause that also evokes customers' emotions and they'll make a beeline to patronize your store because of the tie they feel to you and your brand -- perhaps even if prices are lower elsewhere.

34 A NEW DIMENSION | FUNCTIONAL TRAINERS
With widespread acceptance from trainers, health clubs and the media, functional trainers are freely moving on the path to success and to becoming a true strength staple.

38 MAKING YOUR MARK | BRANDING
Your store needs a solid branding identity if you don't want to blend into the crowd. We show you how.

40 ON THE CASE | LAW REVIEW
Summaries of the latest legal cases and issues in the fitness world from the Law Review division of SNEWS®

42 2005 FITNESS RETAIL SURVEY
Now it its third year, our annual fitness retailer survey gets the real scoop from retailers on the state of their business.

48 THE PRODUCT ZONE
The place to look to see the freshest fitness gear, equipment and accessories on the market today. It's all in da' zone -- the GearTrends® Product Zone that is.