We all get to the point where we feel the need to break out of the cycle in which we’re stuck. Like the 1993 film Groundhog Day, where Phil Connors (in an outstanding performance by Bill Murray) had to embark on a self-improvement journey to break out of the cycle that trapped him. With Groundhog Day upon us (or simply because you never got around to a New Year’s resolution), here are some leading brands behind common self-improvement goals.
Perhaps the most common goal for changing oneself for the better, embracing physical fitness requires a lifestyle change that incorporates diet and exercise. Peloton Interactive, Inc. (Tii:PTON) is one of the beneficiaries of consumers taking on fitness goals while remaining at home. For its fiscal fourth quarter and full-year 2020, Peloton reported that subscriptions grew 113% to over 1.09 million and paid digital subscriptions grew 210% to over 316,800, bringing total members to approximately 3.1 million. At the end of 2020, the company signed an agreement to acquire Precor, one of the largest global commercial fitness equipment providers, in a $420 million transaction.
Foot Locker, Inc. (Tii:FL) is another brand on the receiving end of the rise in fitness activity. In their most recent quarterly earnings report, the company generated $265 million in net income, a sharp rise from the $125 million recorded for the same quarter last year. As of October 31, 2020, the company operated 3,032 stores in 27 countries in North America, Europe, Asia, Australia, and New Zealand. Foot Locker expanded into Asia back in 2018 and by 2020 announced that Singapore would be home to the company’s largest store.
Self-improvement isn’t just about physical fitness. It also includes expanding one’s horizons and exercising the mind. This can be accomplished by way of reading one of the many offerings by book publishers John Wiley & Sons, Inc. (Tii:JW.A) and Scholastic Corporation (Tii:SCHL). It can also mean furthering your personal or professional development through online courses offered by education providers such as Perdoceo Education Corporation (Tii:PRDO), Chegg, Inc. (Tii:CHGG) and GP Strategies Corp. (Tii:GPX). While digital learning platforms have been widely used for years, COVID-19 has dramatically accelerated their use.
Many used their time during lockdown to refine their culinary skills and turned to the thousands of videos on YouTube, a subsidiary of Alphabet Inc. (Tii:GOOG) to get started. Others dipped their toes in the water with meal kits by Blue Apron Holdings, Inc. (Tii:APRN) – one of the most popular in this sphere. The company sends out a set of ingredients and instructions each week that fit with the customer’s choices. In its most recent third-quarter earnings report, Blue Apron’s net income increased 13% year over year as customers ordered more frequently and added more meals per order during the pandemic.
If your self-improvement focus is set on reducing your carbon footprint and becoming more eco-aware, SunPower Corporation (Tii:SPWR) and JinkoSolar Holding Co., Ltd. (Tii:JKS) are among the leading providers of residential solar-powered solutions. To complete your journey, consider trading in the gas-guzzler in the garage for one of the electric options by Tesla, Inc. (Tii:TSLA), Fisker Inc. (Tii:FSR), or NIO Limited (Tii:NIO). A relative newcomer to the space, XPeng Motors (Tii:XPEV), began trading in the U.S. last August by way of a $1.5 billion IPO.
In the Groundhog Day film, Bill Murray’s character learned ice sculpting, how to play the piano and more to break out of the loop. Whatever your approach to creating a new-and-improved self, there is no shortage of brands at the ready to assist you on the journey.