The COVID-19 pandemic unexpectedly changed the way people go about their daily lives. While it’s easy to think about the immediate changes – daily temperature checks, face masks in public, and social distancing floor markers – it’s important to focus on the changes that could have a more lasting impact on our shopping behaviors. If necessity is the “mother of invention,” then this COVID-19 pandemic has been the “accelerator of adoption.”

Consumers haven’t reduced their expectations during this crisis. If anything, they’ve raised the bar and major players who previously had a lock on direct-to-consumer (DTC) shipping are seeing added competition. COVID-19 has exposed retail’s supply chain shortcomings and as forward-thinking brands consider the future of their stores, we’ll see an increased adoption of e-commerce, innovation within supply chains taking inspiration from the industrial sector, and a heated battle to solve for last-mile delivery.