How Life and Commerce would be like in a post-COVID-19 era

1. How life and commerce would
be like in a post-COVID-19 era
What to
expect in the
“next normal”
E.M. Erasmus, MA
April 2020
Part One

2. There is no doubt that COVID-19 (the novel
coronavirus) is not only considered a health crisis of
immense proportion— but it is also an imminent
restructuring of the global economic order.
Many ask the key questions “when will it all be over?
When can we go back to normal?”
Fact is…that when the pandemic is over, we need to
prepare to go to another type of “Normal”.

3. It is increasingly clear our era will be
defined by a fundamental rupture:
the period before COVID-19 and the
new normal that will emerge in the
post-corona era: the “Next Normal”.
”

4. ⯀ Same things we are experiencing right now, will remain
in effect way after the pandemic is over…
THE CONTEXT OF THE ‘NEXT NORMAL’…
PHYSICAL
DISTANCING
Maintaining physical
distance in the
workplace
TRANSACTIONS
WITH LIMITED
CONTACT
Pickup and delivery as
means for product
distribution
STRICT
BORDER
CONTROLS
Strict conditions for
international travel
REMOTE
WORK
Doing office and
administrative work from
home
ESSENTIAL/
NON-ESSENTIAL
BUSINESSES
Allowed business
operations based on
essentiality
HEALTH AND
SANITATION
PROTOCOLS
Heightened in-store
health standards and
procedures

5. Ensure quality and
operations control and
comply with strict health
guidelines, while
continuing to innovate and
diversify product/service
portfolio
Consumer trust can only
be regained if safety
and zero risk of
contagion is guaranteed
BUSINESSRESPONSECONSUMER’sDREAD

6. A
glimpse
into the
Next
…or at least how it will
probably look like

7. STRICT health
CHECK & clearance
at AIRPORTs
01.

8. ● Travelers will probably have to take quick COVID-19
test before boarding a flight. The technology for
quick testing seems to be in development already.
● Also traveling to some countries will only be possible
if a passenger can provide proof that he/she had
taken the COVID-19 vaccine (when available).
● Uses of face masks by passengers will probably be
mandatory on airplanes.
TRAVELING IN THE POST-pandemic ERA

9. Tradeoff for travelers:
give up more privacyin order to be
granted the privilege to travel

10. A DIFFERENT &
RESTRICTED form
OF TOURISM
02.

11. RESTRICTED TOURISM: QUALITY OVER QUANTITY
● Tourism will resume but in limited quantities and will
remain curbed long after the pandemic is over.
● Hotel occupancy will probably be restricted: 50-65%.
● A spike in room stay rates can be expected.
● Resorts will probably have to enforce regulated use of
hotel property facilities to avoid crowd agglomeration.
● Guest activities outside hotel properties will be limited.
● Daily temperature checks of guests and hotel employees
will probably be mandatory.

12. HOME DIGITAL
WORKSPACE IS
HERE TO STAY
03.

13. The end of the office as we know it…
● The pandemic pushed many employees to work from
home.
● After the crisis, employees will go back to a different
office; divided office spaces, stricter protocols for
sanitation and gatherings, limited participants in
meetings, etc.
● But for many working from home will be the new normal.
● Huge impact on company culture, leadership, ICT
technology and teamwork.
● New trend: home office designs.

14. The dog is going to walk through your
zoom meeting, your child is going to climb
on your shoulders…you’ll have to step
away from the virtual conference to
ATTEND the grocery delivery at the door…
it will ad some humanity to work life.

15. SERVICING
CUSTOMERS FROM
A DISTANCE
04.

16. Transformation IN PROFESSIONAL SERVICES…
● Lawyers, consultants, accountants and other service
professionals will probably have to get used to the fact
that they will have to continue operations through
remote means that do not require workers, customers, or
the public to enter or appear at the brick-and-mortar
premises.
● New technologies will enable a boost in digital servicing
procedures in public services as well… prepare for the
digital court (for example).

17. DIGITAL
learning as
new norm
05.

18. Rebuilding and rethinking learning
● Physical access to schools will remain limited to avoid
agglomeration.
● Schools will probably schedule small group school
attendance for certain hours per week.
● Digital conferencing tools and learning platforms will
continue to dominate as means to deliver distance
education.
● Teachers and lecturers will have to quickly learn to
develop quality teaching materials (videos & audio) to
keep students engaged.

19. Innovation in
‘non-essential’
industries
06.

20. NON-ESSENTIALS WILL COME BACK WITH A VENGEANCE
● As the virus was spreading, governments had to
categorize businesses into Essential and Non-essential
businesses.
● No clear-cut definition for ‘essential’, but often referred
to businesses that people rely on in everyday life.
● Essential businesses were allowed to remain open.
● Non-essential (generally recreational in nature) were
forcibly closed for the duration of stay-at-home orders.
● Non-essential industries will figure out ingenious new
ways to deliver value to customers in the post-corona
era.

21. Industries considered as ‘non-essential’
during the pandemic will remain
vulnerable in the corona aftermath,
but will be the ones who will innovate the
most to deliver value to their consumers

22. REINVENTING BUSINESS MODELS FOR NON-ESSENTIALS
● Arts and movie industry will probably find ways to
innovate and to deliver feature content to homes and will
figure out how to charge per viewer with the help of AI
or some other type of technology.
● Drive-in theaters (for live performances) and drive-in
cinemas can also boost entertainment while complying
with physical distancing orders in the post-pandemic
era, and we have better sound and lighting technologies
to enhance viewer’s experience.

23. REINVENTING BUSINESS MODELS FOR NON-ESSENTIALS
● Most “Non-essential”retailers will come up with DIY
product kits or will offer enhanced virtual experience to
consumers.
● eCommerce, effective content marketing and the
combination of new digital tools will be key drivers to
help retailers boost sales.

24. Not so social
evening outings
07.

25. Social outings with strict distancing measures
● Restaurants and bars will reopen but will probably have
to implement strict social distancing measures.
Restaurants, for example, will have to redesign their
interior to create separate dining areas for
families/groups of 5 or 6.
● Contact with waiters will be limited, so customers will
probably have to order in advance or through phone
apps and dining time will be limited to allow the next
party to use the scarcely available dining space.

26. Social outings with strict distancing measures
● Dining room sanitation will of course be top priority for
restaurants.
● For the rest of dining afficionados not being able to get a
dining reservation, viable options will be either pick-up,
drive thru or home delivery.

27. To be continued…

28. THANKS!
So what are your views on the Next Normal?
Share your thoughts…
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