The dog-walking platform Wag announced in February 2022 that it is planning its public debut via a SPAC deal. Its main rival, Rover (NASDAQ: ROVR), went public in August 2021, also through a SPAC merger. But pandemic recovery has differed for these two canine care companies.
After sweating out the early months of COVID-19, several national gym chains are finally experiencing a healthy increase in membership levels. Our competitive analysis of gym companies illustrates that U.S. customer counts steadily increased throughout 2021, and memberships at gym chains such as Crunch Fitness, Planet Fitness, and Anytime Fitness almost reached or exceeded pre-pandemic levels.
Hair salons gradually reopened as COVID-19 cases slowed and state and local authorities lifted their shelter-in-place orders, but sales at Regis Corporation (NYSE: RGS)—the parent company behind salon brands such as Supercuts, Cost Cutters, and SmartStyle—remain below pre-pandemic levels. However, sales recovery for Regis Corporation has varied by state, especially early in the pandemic.
In early January 2022, Mattress Firm filed for an IPO. The mattress company was taken private in late summer 2016 after about five years of trading on the NASDAQ. Consumer spending data shows that Mattress Firm’s sales have grown over the past two years, as average transaction values at the retailer have increased compared to before the pandemic.
Department stores showed signs of sales recovery during the recent holiday season. Consumer transaction data reveals that 2021 holiday sales at several major U.S. department store parent companies approached pre-pandemic levels, and a few companies such as Dillard’s (NYSE: DDS) and Hudson’s Bay Company even exceeded holiday sales before the pandemic.
Pandemic engagements and holiday shopping have corresponded with dazzling sales for jewelry companies, including both brands that are mostly focused on ecommerce as well as those that have historically sold through brick-and-mortar stores.
