It seems that, like with lipstick sales and luxury hair treatments, the success of strip clubs is another marker of an economic downturn.
Recessions have historically been marked by a decrease in consumer spending, and this recession is no exception. As one Twitter user noted, her earnings have halved and the clubs are almost empty. Another commented, Strippers have been telling y’all the recession is coming baby. We are feeling it in the clubs everywhere. You know it’s bad if girls from Miami are coming to New York to work.”
When times are tough, folks just chill at home more; they ain’t gonna spend and hit the clubs. They’re hooking up online instead, said Markus Frind, the big boss of the dating site Plenty of Fish, during the 2009 money meltdown.
Some market research peeps called IBISWorld say that US strip clubs are making way less dough these days. They reckon their profit dropped by more than 12 per cent to $1.4bn in 2018, which is down from $1.6bn in 2012. That’s rough! We got 30% more sex workers calling us last year who need help to start working. The prostitutes who call us are freaking out and scared. Women are begging us to hook them up with food vouchers for food banks. One person hadn’t eaten right for three days," she says. Others have called with housing issues, like getting kicked out or having their landlords be jerks to them," says Niki. “They’re trying to figure out how they’re gonna survive the next week.”