Pinterest Inc said that the user growth in the United States was decelerating as people who used the platform for crafts and DIY projects during the height of the pandemic are stepping out more as curbs ease. Shares of the digital pinboard site slumped nearly 20% in extended trade. This is with the investors looking past Pinterest beating revenue estimates in the second quarter, as overall monthly active users (MAUs) fell short of expectations.
Social media companies worldwide saw digital ad spending and user growth surge as lockdowns accelerated the shift to e-commerce. Wedbush analyst Ygal Arounian said that the Pinterest’s use case was very compelling for people staying at home during the pandemic and with the economy opening up, there is less focus on what Pinterest is best for. Overall MAUs, a widely watched metric, rose by only 9% to 454 million during the quarter. Chief Executive Officer Ben Silbermann said that for the past year, they have highlighted how people came to Pinterest for inspiration to reinvent their lives during such a difficult time. Now as the world opens up, they are seeing the similar effect in the opposite direction.
Pinterest’s MAUs in the United States, a major market for the company. The shift in user engagement was more visible in web than mobile app users, Pinterest said. This adds that web users tended to be, on average, less engaged and generated lower revenue. Total revenue more than doubled to $613 million in the quarter versus analysts’ average estimates of $562.1 million.
