Michael Jary: ‘New normal? Retail needs to get used to the new weird’

By Michael Jary2020-11-05T06:30:00

Back in March I wrote on Retail Week that coronavirus would bring a tipping point: a permanent change in industry structure. At the time some readers wondered whether I might be hyperbolising. It turns out I hardly knew the half of it.

Now that it’s clear the crisis will continue for at least six more months, or maybe beyond next year, even a ‘new normal’ looks hopeful. We should get used to the new weird.

Essentially, we are seeing a redefinition of time and place. To illustrate this, try drawing three pie charts: how did you spend your waking hours last year and now, and how do you think it will be by 2022?

Split your time into six places: home, work/school, retail, eating out, leisure and travel. For the moment ‘home’ has grown massively and the other five have shrunk and changed beyond recognition.

Subscription content

Please sign in now if you have a subscription or are already registered with us.

Register for free to continue reading

Retail-Week.com provides premium, in-depth intelligence that helps retailers judge risks, spot opportunities and identify what they need to do to win in the digital economy.

Two free article views per calendar month on Retail-Week.com
Detailed analysis of current trends and events
Exclusive newsletters
In-depth reports, videos, interviews and much more

During December, registered users can access 24 free articles in our advent calendar - find it here or on the homepage.

Discover Retail Week register now

Please note, if you have recently purchased a subscription, it may take a few minutes before your account is updated.