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A research blog transforming data into stories about consumer trends. Hundreds of journalists trust our data. We have been cited in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg, and more.

Amazon’s 2023 Black Friday week observed sales rose, while big-box retailers showed mixed results

Retailers entered the 2023 holiday season amid U.S. consumer spending jitters. With pressures such as student loan payment resumption and higher interest rates looming over holiday spending budgets, how did Black Friday week sales fare in 2023? Bloomberg Second Measure’s consumer transaction data analytics show that observed U.S. sales at Amazon.com Inc (NASDAQ: AMZN) grew … Continued

Michal Kaczmarski — 06 Dec 2023

Which company is winning the restaurant food delivery war?

When many Americans sheltered in their homes early in the coronavirus pandemic, meal delivery sales reached new heights. Bloomberg Second Measure’s consumer transaction data analytics show that in April 2020, combined observed sales for major meal delivery services grew 162 percent year-over-year and 59 percent compared to the previous month. The meal delivery industry as … Continued

Michal Kaczmarski — 13 Nov 2023

Uber vs. Lyft: Who’s tops in the battle of U.S. rideshare companies

When U.S. cities and states faced shelter-in-place orders to limit the spread of the coronavirus, Americans’ reduced mobility resulted in plummeting sales at rideshare companies. Bloomberg Second Measure’s transaction data shows that while sales at rideshare industry leaders Lyft (NASDAQ: LYFT) and Uber (NYSE: UBER) began to recover shortly after their early pandemic drop, they did so at different rates.

Michal Kaczmarski — 13 Nov 2023

How did Instacart’s grocery delivery sales fare ahead of its IPO?

On September 18, 2023, after many months of anticipation, Instacart (NASDAQ: CART) went public. Bloomberg Second Measure’s consumer transaction data analytics show that in the months leading up to Instacart’s IPO, Instacart Delivery’s U.S. sales remained elevated compared to levels seen both pre-pandemic and early in the pandemic, but its year-over-year sales growth slowed. The … Continued

Michal Kaczmarski — 05 Oct 2023

How did sales growth during Walmart Plus Week compare to that of Amazon Prime Day 2023?

In July 2023, Walmart and Amazon.com held their respective sales events—Walmart Plus Week (July 10-13) and Amazon Prime Day (July 11-12). Bloomberg Second Measure’s consumer transaction data shows that Amazon.com Inc (NASDAQ: AMZN) experienced double-digit week-over-week growth in U.S. consumer sales during the week of Amazon Prime Day 2023. Meanwhile, ahead of Walmart Inc’s (NYSE: … Continued

Michal Kaczmarski — 15 Aug 2023

Netflix’s new subscriber counts soared amid password sharing crackdown

On May 23, 2023, more than a year after making its first announcement regarding the password sharing crackdown, Netflix (NASDAQ: NFLX) began limiting account access to only people living in the same household. Ahead of Netflix’s FY23 Q2 earnings call, Bloomberg Second Measure’s consumer transaction data shows that the streaming platform experienced a spike in … Continued

Michal Kaczmarski — 13 Jul 2023