Halloween is right around the corner, so I was very tempted to make this month’s Fish Insights spooky and scary. But let’s be honest… we’ve all had enough of that this year. So instead, let’s talk about things that bring us a sense of calm — like stress-free Black Friday shopping, heated tables so I feel nice and cozy while eating outdoors when it’s 35ºF, and, my personal favorite, a new trend called the “wellness sabbatical.” (Hear that, Lorne? It’s healthy to work while on vacation! ????)
Restaurants
- Grubhub is being sued for allegedly adding 150,000 restaurants to its platform without their permission. (???? Inconceivable!) (Bloomberg)
- Winter is coming… and restaurants in cold climates are going to have to get creative to entice customers to dine outside. Enter the kotatsu. (Business Insider)
- As drive-thrus become increasingly important to fast food chains, Restaurant Brands International — parent company of Burger King, Popeyes, and Tim Hortons — is giving theirs an upgrade. (Restaurant Business)
Travel & Hospitality
- Marriott has jumped on the work-from-hotel bandwagon with new packages that will finally allow me to take Zoom calls from the pool. ???? (The Points Guy)
- Your next flight might include on-the-spot, rapid response testing for COVID-19. (NPR)
- TSA had something to celebrate last week when it topped 1 million passenger screenings for the first time since March. (CNN Business)
Fitness, Health, & Wellness
- The newest wellness trend is the “wellness sabbatical” — an emerging trend that focuses on decreasing the workload, rather than completely disconnecting. (And anyone who knows me knows I am here ???????? for ????????) (CNBC)
- Here are just a few of the companies trying to compete with Peloton’s winning at-home exercise business model. (Business Insider)
Home Services
- Here are some tips for preparing your home to help prevent the spread of COVID-19 as we all head indoors this winter. (Deseret News)
Retail
- Postmates is tapping into the demand for contactless delivery ahead of the holidays by teaming up with retailers in Los Angeles. (CNBC)
- You can kiss Black Friday chaos goodbye as several retailers, including Walmart, Target, and Best Buy, decide to close on Thanksgiving to reduce crowds. Instead, expect to nab more hot deals online rather than in-store. (USA Today)
- The National Retail Federation Foundation launched has partnered with the Crisis Intervention Institute to train retail workers on how to de-escalate face mask conflicts. (Grocery Dive)
Beauty
- 90s makeup trends are back, so I guess I can start wearing those middle school-era rhinestone stickers on my face again. (Elle)
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.
