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Category Archives: Recession

Prepare for the 21st Century’s roaring 20s. The human desire to socialize and have fun IRL will survive the pandemic.

If history is a guide, we should eventually make it to our own Roaring 20s when consumption and out-of-home socialization will come back with a vengeance Continue reading

Is Chuck E. Cheese’s bankruptcy a bellwether for the decimation of the LBE/FEC industry?

The Covid-19 pandemic has been devastating for the location-based entertainment (LBE) industry. Why I predict that at least 30% of FECs will go out of business and be permanently closed by the end of 2021, perhaps sooner. Continue reading

What impact will the Covid-19 pandemic have on births?

If you thought all the people stuck at home with their romantic partners during the lockdown and/or self-quarantining would reverse the trend and lead to a baby boom, you are probably wrong based on the lessons from history and what researchers are predicting. Continue reading

It’s a long road ahead for location-based entertainment to recover to pre-pandemic business levels

There’s been a lot of press coverage on consumers returning to reopened restaurants, location-based entertainment (LBE) and other businesses. Yes, the trend is up with increasing attendance. However, moving up from zero attendance doesn’t mean you will soon be at 100%. Here’s what all the polls and research is telling us about a recovery. Continue reading

Peoples’ Covid-19 fears and its impact on out-of-home entertainment & dining activities

Following is some very recent polling data that I sorted through from multiple sources on the current state of consumers’ fears that they or a member of their family will catch coronavirus and the impact of this fear on their … Continue reading

The inconvenient truth – almost all location-based entertainment business models are now obsolete

Our company prides itself in using research to identify trends and guide our clients to future-proof their location-based entertainment centers (LBEs), which includes the categories of family entertainment centers (FECs), social eatertainment venues and agritainment/agritourism farms. As they say in … Continue reading

Will no longer doing some things we used to do pre-Covid become a permanent habit?

While bunkered down at home, I’ve been taking long walks everyday whenever the weather permits. Here in Kansas City in the Spring, it’s a great time to take walks as all the greenery is emerging. Winters here are very gray. … Continue reading

The Tchotchke Index Tracks Location-Based Entertainment Spending

American’s spending on tchotchkes—trinkets, junk, yard sale finds, gift shop items, home decor trinkets and other decorative items for the home—is an excellent measure of their impulse spending . . . Continue reading

Evidence of Continuing Long-Term Decline in Marriages & Births

Now along comes research published three days ago . . . that finds that these two trends will continue long into the future. Continue reading

Is AMC Bowling’s bankruptcy the harbinger of the death of bowling?

On November 13th, AMF Bowling Worldwide, Inc., the world’s largest operator of some 262 bowling alleys in the U.S. and Mexico, filed for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy protection. The company will continue to operate while it tries to reorganize by restructuring … Continue reading

Household Spending On Trips for Entertainment, Restaurants and Sporting Events

Consumers’ spending on trips for restaurants, entertainment and admissions to sporting events has been on a long term decline. Liquor spending on trips has been on a decline since 2006. Read the blog for more details Continue reading

Out-of-home entertainment spending continues to decrease

Decreases in out-of-home entertainment spending since the start of the recession are only part of a longer term trend. Continue reading

Household Spending for Out-of-Home Entertainment and Restaurants Seriously Declined in 2010

Household out-of-home entertainment and restaurant spending saw a serious decline in 2010. Continue reading

Are restaurants reaching equilibrium of supply and demand?

Restaurant expenditures are on a long-term decline versus reports to the contrary. However, the population per restaurant is on the increase. Continue reading

The importance of both value and values

The Great Recession has definitely made the consumer far more value conscious in their purchasing decisions. Today value means far more than the price, it means what you get for the price you pay. Often the less expensive items don’t … Continue reading

The economic recovery is coming. Also believe in the Tooth Fairy?

The press and media are rampant with articles that, in one form or another, talk about or refer to a recovery from the Great Recession. There will not be a recovery. I’ll say it again. There will not be a … Continue reading