Similarweb names the fastest-growing digital brands of the year

February 17, 2020 — Similarweb, the world’s leading traffic intelligence company, today unveils the Digital 100 Insights Report, highlighting the most significant digital strategies of 2020 and the potential impact for the year ahead. Headlining the report is Similarweb’s annual ranking of the fastest-growing digital brands, The Digital 100, which is composed of the top ten fastest-growing brands across ten industry categories.

“Over the last twelve months, we witnessed digital becoming the primary point of engagement for all of us — from virtual meetings, to streaming our favorite shows, to buying cars at the click of a button,” says Or Offer, CEO and founder of Similarweb. “The competition to be a digital leader was always fierce, but after a year like 2020, all eyes are on this race. As the best measure of the digital world, we at Similarweb are excited to spotlight this year’s winners, and to follow their success in the months to come.”

The Top Ten

From Beauty to Pet Supplies and everything in between, here are the brands that clocked in at #1, by percentage growth, in each of the ten categories:

Apparel — BelleWholesale (+1274%)
Pet Supplies — The Farmer’s Dog (+384%)
Beauty — Youth to the People (+843%)
Personal Care — Tom’s of Maine (+582%)
Home & Garden — Outer (+873%)
Electronics —  Upsie (+618%)
Right-leaning News —  OAN (+148%)
Left-leaning News —  The Intercept (+56%)
Travel Experiences —  Getaway (+209%)
FinTech —  Chime (+3980%)

In addition to ranking the Digital 100, the Insights Report breaks down the key digital trends of 2020.  “In 2020, consumers had to adapt to a new ‘locked in’ lifestyle that required them to take up new hobbies, work-from-home wardrobes, and even furry friends,” says Greg Malen, VP of Shopper Intelligence at Similarweb. “The brands that were able to grow the most over the past year focused on a strong acquisition strategy that capitalized on the fact that almost all transactions were digital.” Other key trends from the Insights Report include:

Media Polarization

• A once-in-a-lifetime pandemic combined with a presidential election led to unprecedented levels of traffic to news websites in 2020, with traffic leaders like The New York Times and CNN experiencing 68% and 40% increases in traffic YoY, respectively

• Right-leaning newcomers began to expand their audiences, and outlets frequently cited by former president Trump like OAN, Newsmax and The Gateway Pundit experienced triple digit growth YoY

Buy Now, Pay Later

• The surge in online shopping and uncertain economic times has helped fuel the Buy Now Pay Later (BNPL) movement, and the number of websites offering BNPL options increased 55% in 2020

• The biggest beneficiary of the BNPL craze in the U.S. is Google Pay, which has experienced an 180% increase in the number of website installs

Drivable Destinations

• As social distancing orders made overcrowded tourist destinations less and less appealing, Las Vegas, Chicago, New York City, and Los Angeles ended the year with the steepest declines in Q4 bookings (-54% on average)

• Destinations that offer nice weather or a plethora of outdoor activities rebounded fastest, including Savannah, Atlanta, Houston, and Denver, each of which averaged 1% growth in Q4 bookings

For more Similarweb rankings of the fastest-growing websites in the world, visit https://www.similarweb.com/top-websites/.

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