Peloton is trying to re-energize sales by placing its bikes where people can see and touch them, like malls and hotels. Some experts say it won't make much of a difference.

• Peloton has enacted several changes since new CEO Barry McCarthy took over in February.
• In the past week, Peloton announced partnerships with Dick's and Hilton to attract more customers.

Peloton, the fitness company known for its interactive bikes, is desperately vying for more eyes on its products.

CEO Barry McCarthy, who took over for cofounder John Foley in February, has focused on turning around the company's post-pandemic fiscal losses and dwindling numbers of subscribers by ushering in a wave of cost-cutting measures that have included three rounds of layoffs and outsourcing the company's manufacturing to Taiwan.

But the company also is looking to boost sales with new brick-and-mortar partnerships, too.

Peloton announced last month that its bikes and treadmills would be sold in more than 100 Dick's Sporting Goods stores across the country. On Monday, the company announced that Peloton treadmills would also be placed in Hilton's 5,400 branded hotels across the country.

Until now, Peloton's products have only been available for purchase through the retailer's website and personalized showrooms.

Ben Boyd, Peloton's vice president of communications, told Insider that Peloton's changes are about helping more consumers "experience the magic of Peloton in terms of our hardware and software when and where they need it."

That essentially means putting their products in front of more customers in more locations.

Some retail analysts, however, remain more skeptical about whether these maneuvers will provide Peloton the sales boost it needs.

"Peloton is sitting around with excess inventory that they need to move," said Simeon Siegel, a retail analyst at BMO Capital Markets.

Siegel told Insider that he is normally a "very vocal" supporter of wholesale partnerships like the one Peloton has struck with Dick's Sporting Goods. He believes that these partnerships have the potential to elevate a brand and enhance its profit.

In this case, though, he's more skeptical. "Right now, the actions taken by Peloton appear to be more focused on moving bikes than they do on elevating the brand," he said.

Jessica Ramirez, a senior research analyst at retail and brand investment firm Jane Hall & Associates, sees Peloton's new partnerships as part of a broader pivot away from its identity as a luxury brand. The initiatives are a way to tap into a wider range of customers — and budgets.

Peloton bikes normally retail for around $2,500 while its treadmills are around $3,500, which firmly places its products under the class of "discretionary expenditures," Ramirez said.

This past March, Peloton launched a rental program which allows customers to try machines for as little as $89 a month. The company is also selling certified pre-owned machines at hundreds of dollars less than new machines.

Ramirez said, "it makes sense to expand to other consumers but with the macro backdrop we're up against, I don't think this is something that takes the priority."

She points to the rising rates of inflation as one of the main deterrents of consumer spending across the board. If people are going to spend money though she believes its more likely to be on things that bring them together with others.

"If you can be out and social. If you can workout with one of your friends. If you can go to a spin class. All of those have more of an appeal right now," she said.