Pandemic-Era Innovations That Reshaped Consumer-Focused Industries

Most of us would probably like to forget the COVID-19 pandemic. For many people, it was a pretty traumatic time, whether that was because people were unable to see family and friends, or prevented from going to school and work, or because we lost loved ones. For others, it was because they had to go to work and did not feel safe. Many found themselves trapped inside, isolated, and at a loss. While there were a few people whose lives carried on as usual, most of us, looking back at 2020 and 2021, find it hard to believe what happened. Even now, people still have questions, and closure is not something that has come easily.

Around the world, lockdowns saw businesses literally having to close their doors to the general public. Unable to trade in person, they had to adapt and do so at speed in order to survive. It was not only businesses that traded with the general public either; many organisations that supply customer-facing companies had to completely change their business model and go in a different direction.

One interesting example of this was in the food sector. While the supermarkets had already been offering home deliveries, they were in no way prepared for the demand for delivery slots and had to prioritise customers who were shielding due to medical conditions. They actually had to get letters from people’s doctors to prove that they needed their groceries delivered. While this was quite bizarre, it was not a total change of direction for them. However, food wholesalers had to have a total rethink.

For the companies that would usually deliver in bulk to restaurants, cafes, and corner shops, the pandemic meant nearly all of these outlets were closed. The wholesalers still had access to the supplies but had no one to sell them to. Many supermarket customers could not get delivery slots and were uncomfortable about going into a store to shop. Many wholesale companies saw the gap in the market and organized local weekly food box schemes. Most of them did not have ordering systems that could easily be adapted for business-to-customer rather than business-to-business transactions. They created simple order forms on social media or had pre-selected box schemes that were delivered to people’s doorsteps.

As the wholesale companies did not usually accept small transactions, many did not have debit or credit card facilities set up, so payments were mostly made by bank transfer. Many people relied on these schemes for the delivery of fresh fruit, vegetables, and other produce. However, anyone ordering store cupboard staples like rice, flour, or tinned tomatoes might have been somewhat taken aback by the pack sizes. It is not every day that the average consumer is confronted by a catering tin of tomato puree. What could anyone do with that many chickpeas in one go?

While the pandemic appeared to be an ideal opportunity for established retailers, they also struggled due to unprecedented demand. If the supermarkets found things difficult, imagine what it was like for independent online retailers. Many found their sites creaking under the weight of the volume of traffic and orders generated. What appeared to be a golden opportunity for e-commerce was incredibly difficult to manage. People stuck at home wanted everything immediately, but there were insufficient courier and parcel delivery services as well as trouble getting stock into and out of warehouses. Businesses had to adapt incredibly quickly and field enormous numbers of customer queries by phone and email. People wanted to know where their stuff was, and sometimes the answers were not available.

The gambling industry had a much better pandemic than might have been expected. While physical casinos and arcades had to close their doors, online casinos were perfectly positioned to capitalise on a captive audience looking for a distraction. Sports betting did not have things so easy, as most sporting events were cancelled, and even when they started up, they had to be played in empty stadiums. Gamblers in New Zealand had an easier time than other places, and the country’s elimination strategy was envied around the world. Being a remote island nation with the ability to close its border completely was incredibly helpful.

However, while New Zealanders had much more freedom within their country, they faced incredibly stringent international travel restrictions, which persisted. In addition, the physical casinos remained firmly closed after a Covid case was traced back to an Auckland venue in August 2021.

Whether people were looking for a casino where they could be a VIP or just place a small bet, online casinos were already established and fully functioning. Everyone knows that a high roller needs an appropriate casino, and fortunately there were plenty of online casino sites available to gamblers who could not get to a land-based site.

Many people tried out online gambling for the first time during the pandemic. People worldwide who would not have considered going to a brick-and-mortar casino found great entertainment on the internet’s enormous variety of gambling sites. Even people who find themselves totally isolated can play poker, blackjack, and other casino games in virtual casinos.

The Covid-19 pandemic has changed how we live in so many ways. While most of us do not look back fondly on the pandemic, there is one small consolation. At least it happened at a time when we had superfast internet access and could access online services and interact with friends and colleagues over Zoom, Facetime, or Teams. However isolated we felt, imagine how much worse it could have been if it had happened before the days of cloud computing, streaming, and secure online transactions.