In this month’s edition of Fish Insights, all signs are pointing to life casually getting back to some sort of normal. (Cue all the happy tears.) The hotel industry reported its highest occupancy week yet, Americans are booking vacations, and states are lifting restrictions on indoor dining and fitness classes. Yep, the light at the end of the tunnel is so bright that I gotta wear shades.
So grab a cup of coffee, sit back, and enjoy the latest in our ongoing series.
Restaurants
- The debate over how to pay servers is ongoing. NPR dives into the pros and cons of a tipped wage versus paying a higher minimum wage.
- The City of Chicago is offering grants of up to $250,000 for projects that promote outdoor dining — signaling that outdoor dining may be here to stay. (Restaurant Business)
- Across the country, states are lifting restrictions on indoor dining — but CDC researchers found that on-premises dining was linked to a rise in daily COVID-19 infections. (The New York Times)
Travel & Hospitality
- Occupancy at U.S. hotels reached 52% last week, the highest occupancy rate since lockdowns began. (Bloomberg)
- A new survey projects that non-essential domestic business travel will return in 2021. (Travel Weekly)
- 58% of Americans expect to travel this year, with 42% responding that they already have their trips booked. (Hotel Business)
Fitness, Health, & Wellness
- Gyms and fitness classes in New York are reopening at 33% capacity. (CBS New York)
- As gyms reopen, they’re bracing for fewer members amid the rise of at-home fitness. (The Wall Street Journal)
- Indoor fitness classes are back in Washington, D.C., but classes are limited to 10 participants. (Washingtonian)
Retail
- Retail sales were down 3% in February as much of the country dealt with severe winter weather. (The Washington Post)
- Retailers like Ulta Beauty and TJ Maxx are taking advantage of cheap rent and vacant space to expand nationwide. (CNBC)
- There’s a new COVID-19 relief bill here, but it doesn’t include any support for the fitness industry, which has been hard-hit by the pandemic. (Club Industry)
Beauty
- In Virginia, barbers and hair stylists are asking to be moved up into phase 1c of vaccinations. (NBC 29 – Charlottesville, VA)
- In a survey of self-care trends, 34% of Americans said getting a haircut is high on their list. (Salon Today)
- Here’s why some experts say hair stylists and massage therapists should wear face shields while providing services to customers. (Insider)
Home Services
- ICYMI: Plumbers from around the U.S. volunteered to help Texans recover from the winter storm that created a massive plumbing crisis. (NBC News)
- HVAC companies see an increase in demand for improving indoor air quality. (NBC 13 – Eau Claire, WI)
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.
