The Economist - USA (2020-08-08)

*PredictedusingweeklydatafromJanuary3rd2016-March7th 2020

†Averageforretail,grocery,transportandworkplaces Sources:Google;TheEconomist

GlobalchangeinmobilityandGooglesearches,comparedwithnormallevel*

WeeklyaverageJanuary5th–July27th2020,highestweekin2020=100

→Formanyhomeactivities,Googlesearchtrafficremainshigherthanusual

Changeinmobility† “Ticket” “Hangover” “Restaurant”

Jan Jul Jan Jul Jan Jul Jan Jul

“Yeast” “Recipe” “Blender” “Takeout”

Jan Jul Jan Jul Jan Jul

“Dumbbell” “Strava”(workoutapp) “Standingdesk” “Electricbicycle”

Jan Jul Jan Jul Jan Jul

“Paintingbynumbers” “Hairclippers” “Tie-dye” “Netflix”

Jan Jul Jan Jul Jan Jul Jan Jul

Gastronomy

Outonthetown

Healthyliving

Homeentertainment

0

50

100

0

50

100

0

50

100

0

50

100

-3%

+58%

+23%

+112%

+42%

-17%

-58%

+22% +85%

+19%

+64%

+129%

+235%

Jan Jul

Jan Jul

+32%

+103%

Normallevel

Actualsearch

interest

↓Searchesfor

“yeast”arestill

19%abovenormal

TheEconomistAugust 8th 2020 73

C

ovid-19 hasaltered life as we know it.

When governments imposed lock-

downs in March, people transformed their

homes into makeshift offices, gyms and

pubs. For many, crammed commutes and

bustling nightlife became a distant memo-

ry. Now that countries have eased restric-

tions, residents are venturing outside

again—but not as much as before. Globally,

they made perhaps 25% fewer trips per day

in July than they did in early March, accord-

ing to The Economist’s analysis of Google’s

phone-tracking data.

Consumer caution has hit some indus-

tries harder than others. By training a sta-

tistical model on Google’s global search

data since 2016, we find that traffic for “res-

taurant” (or similar words in other lan-

guages) is currently 17% lower than we

would usually expect for this time of year.

Booze stores may be doing better, since

searches for “hangover” have rebounded to

a normal level for raucous July, after dwin-

dling by 40% in March. But enquiries for

“tickets” are still down by 58%. This news-

paper has called the result of such an un-

even recovery “the 90% economy”.

Even as people are less comfortable go-

ing out and about, Google’s data show that

they are persisting with home activities

they picked up months ago. Take baking,

for example. “Yeast” quickly became a fad,

with searches rising by 280% in April—and

by 1,300% in peckish Italy. Global interest

has flattened since, but is still 19% above

normal. Other gastronomic words show a

similar pattern. The increase for “takeout”,

however, has been even greater. Kneading

and proofing is not for everybody.

Though people are feasting at home, fit-

ness has also become a priority during

quarantine. Searches for “dumbbell” and

“Strava”, a workout app, remain more than

60% above the usual level, despite gyms re-

opening. The continued interest in “elec-

tric bicycles” and “standing desks” (espe-

cially in America) shows that workers are

making their transport and home offices

healthier too.

Likewise, arts and crafts adopted in

April have made a lasting mark. Aspiring

Picassos have kept searches for “painting

by numbers” at more than double their

normal rate. “Hair clippers” remain fash-

ionable among amateur barbers, as does

“tie-dye” with people willing to spatter

their clothes (particularly Germans, who

seem to be channelling their inner Jil Sand-

er). As with cooking, however, there are

plenty of slouches who lack inspiration for

such artistry. Netflix can thank them for a

rate of searches that was 23% higher than

usual in late July, long after March’s mania

for “Tiger King” wore off.

The Google trends for many of these

home entertainments suggest that their

new popularity may outlast the pandemic.

If so, the world could end up poorer in

earnings—but richer in experiences. 7

Some lockdown-inspired fads seem to

have become full-fledged hobbies

90% economy,

120% gastronomy

Graphic detailLife in the time of corona