The world has changed this year. Of course, we will sooner or later start visiting restaurants and museums again, but the question is whether we will ever go back to shaking hands or going to the movies as much? Do we really want to return to going to the store just to buy milk and flour?
When I lived in Malta, roughly ten years ago, I bought most of my groceries online. Malta is of course unique in the sense that everything is on a very small area, so deliveries never have to go from Svenljunga to Vännäs, but rather about 40 minutes at most. Still, it always felt strange that Malta was ahead of Sweden in something.
I bought vegetables from the little cart outside my doorway, meat and fish over the counter. Toilet paper, flour, and water (you have to buy all your drinking water in Malta) were purchased online. Once I started doing that, I found it hard to imagine going back to the store again.
We are seeing an increase
This is admittedly just a feeling based on the people I meet (via Google Meet), but my impression is that more and more are moving online. You probably share that view, and I’m not only talking about meetings, work, and sales. All types of services have accelerated their online presence this year. Suddenly, we no longer suffer nearly as much from having our headquarters far outside the capital. Suddenly, we are just as close as the company in the next building.
After the initial shock at the beginning of the year, when everyone was afraid and several of our major customer segments collapsed, things have taken off. Significantly!
It will never be the same again
When will we return to normal? When will things go back to how they were? I can’t see that happening. We won’t start shaking hands again (maybe), and we won’t have the desire to walk around looking for a specific nut or bolt—we will order it online, the same way we do today. It may feel nostalgically sad that screw and bolt shops will disappear from city centers, but is that really what makes up a city?
Isn’t the value of having access to all the nuts and bolts in the world greater than being able to touch and feel them in a store?
Out in the countryside, where you’ll find me, people often talk about towns being drained of services and shops. That’s increasing now and will continue to do so. My view, however, is the opposite: small municipalities are not being depleted—we have greater access to goods and services than ever before. Surely it’s the function, not the location of the transaction, that really matters?
Magnus Bråth
Consultant & Adviser
Magnus is one of the world's most prominent search marketing specialists and primarily works with management and strategy at his agency Brath AB.