It's no secret that I like me some scooters, and looking at the numbers, I'm not the only one! Downloads of Lime and Bird, the two most popular scooter rental services in the U.S. have reached new post-pandemic highs this summer.
Combined, the pair was downloaded more than 288K times in the U.S. last week and a similar number the week prior. In the same week last year, downloads were roughly a half at 147K for the pair, based on our estimates. That figure represents the peak downloads for the summer of 2020, and 2021 is still continuing to grow.
The trend here is much larger than just scooters. As big cities settle into a post-lockdown lifestyle, many pre-pandemic habits and routines will change and morph, and if what we saw over the last year continues, many of these new habits and routines will involve a mobile phone in some capacity—be it ordering a ride, unlocking a scooter, talking to a therapist, exercising, and I can go on for a while but you get the idea.
In a way, the gold rush of apps is making a comeback. It's very different than what we saw in 2008/2009, and considering how mature the industry is, the kind of silliness that made headlines back then won't this time around, but the opportunities are there and bigger than ever before.
December saw a curious split: downloads dropped 2% while revenue sat at $1.3B. ChatGPT and TikTok dominated both charts as the mobile industry enters a new maturity phase.
Wall Street bet $2 billion on Polymarket, and downloads surged 1,172% in December. The prediction market banned in 2022 is now where Wall Street looks for signals.