According to data from Ookla, the quality of US mobile and fixed internet networks suffered as a result of COVID-19. As individual states implemented mandatory lockdowns and Americans spent more time indoors, internet consumption surged resulting in a virtual traffic jam. Streaming entertainment, video-conferencing, and social-media are the main culprits.
As the coronavirus crisis drags on, bringing with it more social distancing requirements and continued disruptions to the workplace, a crucial piece of the puzzle remains unsolved: childcare. Though some schools and daycare centers have reopened, many are still conducting classes entirely online, and almost none are back to their pre-COVID capacities. Even families with support are still struggling with parenting during COVID-19.
As the country mourns the passing of Ruth Bader Ginsberg, we remark on the influence she had on gender equality for all Americans. This influence was perhaps most pronounced in her own profession.
Thanks in part to the launch of Penn Sports Interactive’s newest sportsbook app, Barstool Sportsbook, sportsbook apps hit their all-time high for downloads in a single day on September 20th. Downloads jumped 209% from 2017 to 2018 and then 224% from 2018 to 2019. The US federal ban on sports betting was lifted In May 2018, spurring this growth.
Residents in Birmingham, Bristol and Sheffield have been some of the fastest to return to workplaces, with office attendance climbing to almost 50% of YOY levels in each city. However, working from home appears to have become a new way of life for Londoners, as levels at languish around 20%. Commuting in cities outside London have been witnessing a fast recovery since the start of July as offices and workplaces were allowed to open up again.
Indications show that the recovery of the UK Health & Fitness sector bounced back rapidly following the end of lockdown, with gyms, spas and fitness studios across the UK seeing up to 65% of last year’s levels consistently throughout much of August and September. According to Huq’s ‘Big 6 Consumer Index’, gyms, spas and fitness studios across the UK dropped quickly and firmly to negligible attendance during lockdown, followed by a sharp increase when they were allowed to open once again in late July.
A new survey of U.S. moviegoers from Comscore (NASDAQ: SCOR), a trusted partner for planning, transacting, and evaluating media across platforms, found that audiences are feeling more confident heading to the theater thanks to the expansive safety procedures implemented by exhibitors. The survey results, captured in conjunction with Screen Engine/ASI, demonstrate another positive indicator for the global theatrical industry’s road to recovery.
Upward mobility is a huge concern, not just for ambitious employees, but for the workplace environment. By analyzing cohorts of employees from 1990 to 2018, we see a significant gender seniority gap that seems to be becoming smaller for younger cohorts.
More than 60% of US K-12 public school students will be attending school remotely to start the school year, up from an estimated of 52% in early August according to a comprehensive and ongoing survey conducted by Burbio.com, a data service that aggregates school and community calendars nationwide.
There has been tremendous speculation about when a COVID-19 vaccine will be ready and what pharmaceutical companies will be involved in the manufacturing and distribution. It would be hard to find anyone whose well-being would not be dramatically improved by a vaccine.
As the world strives to regain some normalcy, for many people, a gradual lifting of lockdowns means a return to offices. For more than a century, workers have endured the daily commute to offices and toiled away their hours in a designated workplace.
Seventy-eight percent of US four-year colleges and universities are having all students return to campus this Fall, according to a survey of the 950 largest schools in the country by Burbio, a data service that aggregates school and community calendar information nationwide. Ten percent are inviting a portion of the students to return to campus with only twelve percent of four-year colleges offering purely ‘virtual’ experiences to their students.
As one of the most important events of 2020, the upcoming U.S. presidential election will have a far-reaching impact on website monetization for news publishers and advertising networks. The race is heating up with both candidates investing heavily in paid marketing and looking to secure funding from supporters around the country.
Going to the pub or having a meal out continued to grow in popularity in the UK over August, as the ‘Eat Out to Help Out’ scheme helped to push pub visits over 83% for the first time since lockdown. Huq’s Restaurants & Pubs Index shows that footfall to pubs saw a sharp rise over the last week, reaching the new series high on Saturday (22 August) and that Government incentives appear to have given consumers more confidence about supporting their local.
There are few sectors that rely on the back-to-school season to the same extent as office and school supply leaders. From Office Depot to mass merchandise leaders like Walmart, the season can drive huge returns. So, how has this season played out within the context of the COVID recovery? Context is key to understanding performance, and understanding 2019’s back-to-school season goes a long way in helping to frame the current results being seen.
It appears as though the Summer Slump continues on. In one more week, it will match the duration of the Reemergence Ramp. Traffic is mostly flat, aside from traffic to Nature & Outdoor venues (which has been cycling a bit with recent weather patterns) – and some signs of life among the lower trafficked categories, like hotels and movie theaters.
While audience traffic for certain categories are returning to normal, overall news consumption remains higher than pre-pandemic levels. Data suggest that millions of Americans continue to rely on media for vital information during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Total visits to an aggregate of approximately 40 select news sites peaked during the week of April 13-19, 2020 with 8.5 billion total visits.
COVID-19 has catalyzed sales growth in the telehealth industry, as patients turn to online doctors as a safer and more convenient way to receive medical advice. The industry has witnessed skyrocketing year-over-year growth since March 16, the week most states issued shelter-in-place orders, and has since sustained strong growth.
The classic experience of road tripping across the country has gained momentum during the pandemic. Concerns about the potential hazards of other forms of travel have led vacationers to hit the road in a Recreational Vehicle (or RV). There are a myriad of stories of how this demand has transpired. Some travelers are looking for alternatives to hotels and view an RV as a more controlled environment.
When the going gets tough, the tough open a brokerage account. Well, that’s not exactly the saying, but that seems to be what is occurring across the country as the pandemic has set in. According to Envestnet | Yodlee spending trends data, new online brokerage accounts were opened at very high rates in March 2020, compared to the previous month. Interestingly this phenomenon has occurred across all income groups, as shown from our Income and Spending Trends Data.
