This article originally appeared in The Conversation. Solo travel is surging – and an industry still largely built for two is taking note. Google reported in April 2026 that online searches involving “solo travel” hit an all-time high this year, with queries for “women solo travel” reaching a 15-year peak. Hilton’s 2026 trends report found […]
Category: Single Insights
Many churches, synagogues and mosques are built around families – and they’re struggling to respond to rising singles
This post was originally published at The Conversation. When a couple marry in a church, synagogue or mosque, the ceremony does more than sanctify a union. Often, it binds two families to an institution. For centuries, marriage and child-rearing have been among the main ways adults are integrated into congregational life. Couples who share the […]
Family‑friendly workplaces are great − but ‘families of 1’ get ignored
This article was originally published at The Conversation. In 1960, 72% of adults were married, and over 90% would go on to marry. HR policies and management practices back then catered to nuclear families with a lone, male breadwinner. Today, dual-career couples and working mothers are common, largely due to the growth of women in the workforce in the second half of the […]
Doing things alone is on the rise, and businesses should pay more attention to that – even on Valentine’s Day
This post was originally published at The Conversation. Every February, Valentine’s Day amplifies what single people already know – that public life is built for two. Restaurants roll out prix fixe menus for couples. Hotels promote “romantic getaway” packages designed for double occupancy. A table for one still invites the question, “Just you?” Yet there’s […]
The Economist just noticed the Solo Economy
I’ve been tracking the Solo shift. Who will see it next? In their recent cover story, “The Great Relationship Recession: The Rise of Singlehood is Reshaping the World,” (link but paywalled at the moment). The Economist takes note of the precursors of what I call the Solo Economy: a striking rise in single living that’s […]
The Solo Economy Is Here. Singles’ Day (11/11) Proves It.
Yesterday, I published this article about how Singles’ Day is coming to America. On November 11, billions will be spent on Singles’ Day — the world’s largest shopping event, dwarfing Black Friday and Cyber Monday combined. What began as a playful celebration of singledom among Chinese undergraduates has been transformed by Alibaba into a global consumer spectacle. Beneath […]
Singles’ Day is a $150B holiday in China. Here’s why I think ‘11/11’ will catch on in the U.S.
This post was originally published at The Conversation. On Nov. 11 each year, a curious holiday takes over China. What began among Nanjing University students in the 1990s as a tongue-in-cheek counter to Valentine’s Day has exploded into the world’s largest shopping event: Singles’ Day. The date, 11/11, was chosen because the four ones resemble […]
Single Living in a Financial World Built for Two
Tax Day highlights the costs of single living – but demographics are forcing financial change This article appears in The Conversation. Reposting it here. Tax Day is right around the corner – an annual reminder that without the option to file jointly, singles pay more per dollar earned than married people. Tax advantages are just one of over 1,000 […]