The high street has faced many challenges in recent years. However, the COVID-19 outbreak is certainly the most significant. Over the course of a few weeks, all areas across the UK have been put under lockdown, closing businesses and isolating people in their homes. Shopping centres are now empty and, aside from food retailers, stores are looking for alternative ways to maintain their business during a time of closed doors.
While some businesses are able to operate well online, others will have to turn to government funding to be able to survive the period of closure. This may mean great changes ahead for shopping as the general public has come to know it and, once the pandemic is resolved, our high streets will certainly be different.
However, there are many businesses that appear to be doing quite well. As people are isolated from each other and in their homes, certain necessities and luxuries are becoming widely popular. Retailers who stock these supplies or operate in these sectors are finding a silver-lining success.
In the absence of hairdressers, hair clippers and beauty products are in great demand. Online orders for electronic razors and trimmers have rocketed in a matter of weeks. Baking equipment, such as bannetons and bread trays, has also begun selling out from many sites as more people begin collecting flour and making their own bread. Manufacturers selling homemade fitness products have seen increased sales now that gyms are closing and people are restricted to recreate their workouts at home.
Other businesses are finding similar demand, often in unexpected ways. There has been a greater demand for furniture, shelving, and redecorating equipment. Now that most of the population are confined to their homes, either wanting to create a home office or having the free-time to decorate, redesigning and redecoration is on people’s minds.
Orders for a wide variety of items, from paint and wallpaper to slatwall panels and cupboards, are being placed all over the UK as homeowners begin using the time to transform their homes. Gardening centres too are seeing similar developments now that outside space is limited to personal gardens. Soil and seeds are being ordered online and people are spending their days redeveloping their gardens with new designs and plants.
While this concentrated demand has put a strain on the supply chain in some cases, it has meant a small semblance of sustainability for some businesses, especially those who operate well online and have their own delivery services. As the pandemic spreads and lockdowns are extended, it seems the orders will continue as more people begin to utilise their time constructively within their home.
It is predicted that some sectors will dedicate more resources to remote working once the pandemic is resolved. Such a transition will already be well established and it will follow that having a home office will become more than a passing trend as businesses come to expect the ability to work well and consistently from residential spaces. Additionally, a greater general consideration for the home and garden space will likely occur too as more people recognise the reality of having to spend time at home.
