Well, the past 12 months have certainly been different to the 12 before. I am personally really feeling the stress of this lockdown and I know I can speak for a number of us.

Although there is a vast amount of uncertainty moving forward, there are certainly some key points we can take from this and ensure we are ready to adjust when necessary.

So what is the rest of the year bringing us?

Working from home!

Unsure what to make of the pandemic when it hit early 2020, businesses quickly adjusted and ran a remote workforce with each employee working from the comfort of their own home. Some loved it, some hated it.. a bit like marmite!!

Little did we know that businesses would save both time and money from having employees working from home. As long as a business had trusted employees, it’s a win win situation? Without coronavirus, we couldn’t have imaged this happening as soon as it has. We really have excelled 5-10 years in just 1 year!

Putting the positives of WFH aside, something that needs to be carefully considered is the mental well-being of all employees. This current situation alone is enough for any individual to feel anxious and lonely, let alone those who work and live alone. That being said, we recommend #mentalhealthsupport to be available for all employees at all times.

Virtual interfaces!

Now, this one still amazes me! I first saw a virtual interface system in a Louis Vuitton store a number of years ago and I have watched it unfold throughout other high street stores since.

When Covid-19 hit, the whole virtual thing went to a new extreme. Companies were faced with having to find new ways they can attract and interact with their customers.

So what did they do?

They have been using digital forms of technology to help the customer virtually ‘try makeup’ or ‘style an outfit’. Who knew this is what it would get to? We would much prefer the shops being open, but let’s enjoy moving with the times the best we can.

Global to Local

This is one of my personal favourites. As a country we have always relied on importing our goods, yet this been dramatically affected since coronavirus with key supply chains being disrupted.

Not only the above, but we have had a huge focus on #supportingsmall and helping out #smallbusinesses. It has never been this important to ensure you are doing your part to support those small and local businesses to you, we are what keep them running.

Sustainability

Although this has always been a significant concern, there has been a lack of understanding just how important it really is and what impact environmental changes have on the planet.

I feel as if the pandemic has sped the process of people understanding that bit more, don’t you think? And boy am I glad this is the case!

Brands are starting to understand that it is a matter of getting clients or simply not if they are not recognising the environmental crisis. It is key that they are following a set of sustainable guidelines and promoting sustainability within their brands key message.