2021. Is. Here. ???????? And with it, we bring you the first edition of Fish Insights for 2021. We’re talkin’ about vaccines — and whether or not restaurant owners will require them for employees — hybrid everything, from meetings and events to gym memberships, and the return of retail and travel. Basically, if this month’s Fish Insights are any indication, it seems we can finally see a light at the end of this very long tunnel. And I think when we emerge, we’re going to like how the world has changed.
Restaurants
- The COVID-19 vaccine is here and restaurant owners are now grappling with whether or not to require it for their staffs. (Restaurant Business)
- States are closing indoor dining again, but more restaurants are resisting this time around. (The Wall Street Journal)
- According to NPD Group, restaurant transactions fell 10% in December after steadily improving since April. (CNBC)
Travel & Hospitality
- Hotels, airlines, and credit cards are offering “unprecedented” deals on travel right now. Here’s how to take advantage of it all. (Bloomberg)
- Hilton launched a hybrid meetings and events strategy to help revive the business and prepare clients for what the future of events may look like. (Skift)
- Eager to get past COVID-19, airports, Disneyland, and others in the travel industry pitch in to serve as vaccination sites and testing centers. (The New York Times)
Fitness, Health, & Wellness
- The “home-workout revolution” may be here to stay. (The Washington Post)
- Some Americans are spending tens of thousands of dollars a year to stay fit. (The New York Times)
- Celebrity trainer Jillian Michaels thinks the future of gyms will be a hybrid model of in-person and at-home. (Yahoo! Finance)
Retail
- Here’s how the pandemic impacted retail, from store closures to foot traffic. (Retail Dive)
- Holiday sales were up 8.3% in 2020 amid a spending shift from restaurants and travel toward goods like home furnishings, food, and activewear. (AP)
- What will retail look like in 2021? Here’s what experts say. (Chain Store Age)
Beauty
- Thanks to the pandemic, more beauty brands are incorporating AI and AR into the shopping experience. (Fortune)
- Here are the 90s beauty trends making a comeback in 2021. (Oh, yes… mullets and thin brows are back ????.) (Bustle)
Home Services
- Jobber, a Canadian startup that helps home improvement professionals manage and market their business, raised $60M in funding as the platform hits 100K users. (TechCrunch)
As always, we’d love to hear what you think about Fish Insights. Feel free to shoot me an email at adavidson@fish-consulting.com if you love it or have ideas for how we can improve it.
