The New Normal by Kylie Ross Sibert itting in a coffee shop in Norfolk at 3 p.m. on a weekday, having a late working lunch with a colleague, I look around and find it hard to believe that the challenges and struggles over the last two years had ever transpired. Masks were nowhere to be found, social distancing certainly wasn’t a worry and of the 16 tables I counted, only one was empty. The atmosphere buzzed with chatter, laughter and upbeat music playing through the speakers. Are we back to normal? On the surface, everything looked like it was back to normal but is that actually the case? I think you’ll agree with me when I say a resounding no. Look at your own shopping behavior. Has it returned to how you shopped prior to the pandemic? Are you one of the 15% of U.S. consumers who tried grocery delivery for the first time during the COVID-19 crisis? Did you find it easy and safe—possibly even enjoyable? You’re not alone. The vast majority who tried it, agree with you. Forty percent even intend to continue getting their groceries delivered after the crisis.1
One of the most overused words during the pandemic: pivot Luckily for all of us, most retailers are innovators. At the beginning of the pandemic, making changes that provided tangible benefit to consumers became vital.2 It was a matter of 1
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McKinsey & Company, “Understanding and shaping consumer behavior in the next normal”, https://www. mckinsey.com/business-functions/marketing-and-sales/our-insights/understanding-and-shapingconsumer-behavior-in-the-next-normal Retail Alliance, “Retail Pulse August 2021 Report”, https://retailalliance.com/retail-pulse-survey-results-localretailers-remain-confident-despite-rising-covid-19-cases-supply-chain-issues-and-labor-shortages/
may-jul 2022 | boulevard
