In several blogs in recent months I have written about the challenges of the high street (namely in the U.K.), and the current pandemic will not leave our retail premises around the world unscathed. The latest string of retailers going into administration in the UK include restaurant chain Carluccio‘s, rent to own firm Brighthouse, department store Debenhams and fashion retailers Laura Ashley, Oasis and Warehouse, with some more on the brink. Even in Switzerland department store chain Globus plans closing several of its sites (although this is unrelated to the Coronavirus) and the fashion chain Tally Weijl is looking urgently for additional funding. The outlook isn’t any rosier across the pond, where we’ll known US department stores such as Macy‘s and Nordstrom to Name but these two are struggling.
And these are just the multi-site chains , which are prominently located on many high streets. Nobody mentions all the small, family run retailers up and down the country, and around the globe, which not only provide a livelihood for their owners and employees, but also valuable products and services for our local communities. Not to mention a welcome distraction from the monotony of the store chains, where each outlet looks the same.
But unless they are selling groceries, many of these premises will have been closed for some 1 1/2 months already and quite possibly seriously struggling by now. While many European countries start talking about opening up again (and some have already started relaxing the lockdown), many of these shops but also restaurants and bars will have to adapt for their patrons to respect social distancing rules, which will reduce the number of people at any one time allowed in – and thus will reduce the turnover which likely can be achieved post Coronavirus.
Equally difficult is the outlook for the tourism industry. Some airlines already state, that it will take well over a year and maybe into 2022 until passenger numbers reach the levels seen in 2019. easyJet, for example, plans to keep the middle seat in each row unoccupied once they resume their flights. Cable cars in Switzerland‘s tourist resorts will surely also have to take measures to provide for social distancing although with many borders still firmly shut, summer holiday destinations around the world are unlikely to be invaded by fun and sun seeking hordes this year.
But also for us as workers and consumers a lot is going to change: social distancing in the workplace is here to stay for a good while, as will probably face masks and hand sanitizers. And the daily commute on public transport is likely to be more fraught, as people try to keep their distance – at least those who don‘t work from home, as more people are likely to do more often in future.
Change beckons in many ways, but we will get used to it. And things will get better over time .
The grumpy older man 