Harris KhanAfter a rockier holiday season than we may have been anticipating, we are all looking ahead to the rest of 2022 with a renewed sense of optimism. There are encouraging signs from all over the world that things are finally starting to return to something approaching normal, and we can all breathe a sigh of relief about that. However, we cannot ignore the fact that some of the trends that we saw emerge over the course of the last couple of years may be here to stay.
Some of these habits and shifts may have been borne out of necessity, but they have changed the cultural landscape. The technology has evolved to make virtual choices easier than ever before. There has been a big push towards accessibility, and while we will go back to a lot of the old ways of doing things, we also need to recognize that things have changed. We are going to lack at how consumer habits have evolved in the last couple of years and whether we can expect to see things returning to the old normal any time soon.
Remote Working Vs Back To The Office
The issue of getting workers back into the office has been one of the most hotly contested around the world over the last couple of years. Back in March 2020 it would have been hard to imagine that we would still be having this discussion nearly two years later, but here we are. However, the issue is no longer just about health and safety.
So many companies have seen that there is a lot to be gained by embracing remote working and all the flexibility that comes with it. With businesses trying to cut costs and get ahead of the competition in the online marketplace, it makes sense that cutting the ties to a brick-and-mortar office would be a smart solution. But we can expect to see a hybrid approach for some time yet. There are some industries that remain committed to a physical location, and this does not seem like it is going anywhere anytime soon.
Dining In Vs Take-Out
It will not surprise anyone to learn that the number of people ordering take-out food absolutely skyrocketed over the last couple of years. Not only was it a way for people to continue enjoying their favorite meals and supporting their favorite restaurants during the tough times of the pandemic, but it was also a therapeutic experience. This was a way for us to treat ourselves and enjoy some real comfort at a very difficult time.
Now that restrictions have been lifted and we are starting to see more encouraging signs around the world that we are going back towards the old normal, you may have expected to see a big decrease in take-out and a big upswing back towards dining in. However, what’s interesting is that although the second part of that is true, the former is not. Dining in is indeed enjoying a resurgence, but take-out is also thriving. To learn more about dine in vs. take-out trends, look at Yelp’s guide to the latest developments. Yelp for restaurants offers a range of resources to help restaurants find their target audience.
In Store Vs In Person Shopping
We do not need to tell you that the last couple of years have been brutal for businesses that depend on in-person shopping. Leaving restaurants aside, there are so many stores out there that were forced to make some very difficult decisions during the pandemic. Many looked for ways that they could pivot to providing an online service, and that is where we continue to see a big push in 2022. Restrictions have been lifted and we have seen a big push back towards in person shopping, but there is no denying that online is continuing to grow. In fairness, this was a trend that was moving forward at an incredible pace even before the world locked down.
We have all seen how the force of online market giants such as Amazon have meant that businesses have been fighting tooth and nail to stay afloat. There is no reason to believe that these developments will change in the future. If stores want to continue to survive, they need to find a way to benefit from both in person and online shopping as well as finding a way to incentivize their customers to visit their stores. This is known as hybrid shopping, and it is going to be crucial. Customer data is going to also going to be a key element for store owners in this battle, but so is finding a way to distinguish themselves apart from the online retail giants. One of the most popular ways that we have seen this is with branding, by developing their business persona to reflect values that the customers share.
