‘Stay at home’ orders are changing business and society – here’s how

As the CEO of Three Ships, a digital media company that operates a network of rating and reviews websites, my team has access to real-time data on how consumers have responded to North Carolina’s “stay at home” order.

The impact is severe.  Searches for Raleigh restaurants have all but fallen to zero.  Searches for Crabtree Valley Mall are down 57%.  Searches in Raleigh-Durham for “dry cleaning” are down 71%, “hair salon” are down 76%, and “RDU Airport” are down 82%.  Searches for “med spa” fell 84% from early March to late March, and they have now dropped to essentially nothing.

Similar to companies such as LendingTree or Priceline, my business uses a performance marketing business model which gives us complete visibility into how different companies are converting website traffic into sales.  This data can help us better understand the economic impact of COVID-19 and inform the way business and community leaders prepare for exit.