At a time most brands couldn't buy a mention or find an influencer foolish enough to make a marketing post in the midst of a global pandemic, there's one retailer whose brand is exploding on social media at just the right time: Williams-Sonoma, the elite cookware retailer.
Since we're all trapped indoors and cooking to pass the time, it does make sense that a company that retails $400 Dutch Ovens would be popular - at least with some consumers.
But Williams-Sonoma ($WSM) is popular with a lot more consumers, based on the chart above. Williams-Sonoma's Facebook ($FB) Talking About Count is positively soaring, hitting new heights in the midst of a pandemic that's forcing people to shelter-in-place and attempt to cook, as a growing number of restaurants are suspending operations to protect staff. The brand is also taking advantage of it by cranking out plenty of social media postings covering recipes people can cook while quarantined, to help juice engagement.
There are plenty of brands and products that have seen rising interest from consumers amid the pandemic, which has shuttered many American restaurants and driven plenty of people to cook - or, sadly attempt to - in the declining safety of their own homes. YouTube classes are getting more attention as people try to hone home cooking skills, which may be driving more orders to Williams-Sonoma.
Target ($TGT) has seen a sharp uptick in consumer interest as the nationwide big-box retailer sees shoppers arrive in droves to clear out toilet paper, and products that make a little bit more sense to have in bulk right now. The Coronavirus crisis is also leading to the great American scrub-down, and Clorox ($CLX) is also benefitting from the rising trend, according to its Facebook Talking About Count.
Shares are down 36% in 2020; but if social chatter is an indicator of sales, Williams-Sonoma could be poised for a big bounce-back.
About the Data:
Thinknum tracks companies using the information they post online - jobs, social and web traffic, product sales and app ratings - and creates data sets that measure factors like hiring, revenue and foot traffic. Data sets may not be fully comprehensive (they only account for what is available on the web), but they can be used to gauge performance factors like staffing and sales.
Further Reading:
- Nobody is talking about Airbnb
- Casper data suggests resilience as other brick-and-mortar mattress players struggle
- Uber hiring plummets amid sharing economy downturn
