Where do you see yourself in five years? A meme going around online recently joked that in 2015 we all got the answer to that question wrong.
In some ways, the spread of COVID-19 has set us back seemingly to the days of the Black Death where people wore bird-like masks and shunned each other. In other curious ways, though, it’s like we’re characters in a futuristic novel where drones deliver our purchases at the touch of a keyboard button.
Here are a few predictions for what life after the time of the coronavirus might look like.
1. Outdoor Dining Will Get Creative as Temperatures Drop
As indoor dining hasn’t resumed in many states across the country, restaurants have worked with local government to take over larger expanses of sidewalks, convert parking lots, and even shut down entire streets to traffic to offer more opportunities for outdoor dining in locations with higher densities of restaurants.
As the weather turns cooler, we may be seeing the rise of more igloo-like experiences. At New York City’s rooftop bar 230 Fifth, the “igloo” has already been popular amongst Instagrammers for years, and smaller versions for social distancing could pop up elsewhere.
2. Drive-in Theaters Will Rev Up
About a decade ago, the bedbug pandemic in cities across the country turned many people off to theaters. Now, once again, one of America’s greatest pastimes is in danger — particularly as today’s younger generation tends to prefer to Netflix and chill. This summer, though, we saw a return of classic drive-in theatres. As most drive-ins fell out of popularity years ago, it’s a new and exciting experience for many younger people and a fun trip down memory lane for others.
3. Localization Will Expand
Globalization has meant that we’ve been able to import and export our favorite foods, fashion brands, and so much more that has made the world truly seem like our oyster. It all felt like a mirage, though, when supply chains were disrupted during the pandemic. Suddenly, the #shoplocal mantra of locavores and hipsters seemed so much more urgent than just a trend.
Our data reveals that reshoring is top priority in manufacturing right now, but we’ll see a much bigger push for increased localization within the U.S. across sectors. Companies may opt to bring their factories in-house, enabled by 3D printing technology in some cases. Warehouses will be smaller in square footage but more numerous in locations, as we saw with how Walmart was able to beat out competitor Amazon by using its many stores as mini-fulfillment centers for online orders during the pandemic.
Farmers’ markets, often a large, centralized outdoor shopping experience, will increase in number even if it means becoming smaller. One way we might see this is through the rise of fruit-stand-like carts with expanded offerings like vegetables, jams, and bread. Dairy may make a comeback through initiatives like milk delivery.
4. Sanitization Reports Will Be Posted
General inspection signs in windows of restaurants have become so ubiquitous we rarely think about them anymore, even though they weren’t instituted until recently. Shark Tank’s Kevin O’Leary predicts that sanitization reports, specifying when a place was last cleaned, will regularly be posted in public places such as baseball stadiums and that patrons will be able to request a worker clean their area for them if needed.
5. Touchless Sanitation Stations Will Be Everywhere You Turn
Antibacterial foam and gel hand sanitizer dispensers will become even more prevalent. Sure, we’ve seen them in public restrooms even before the pandemic, but prepare to see them in more high-traffic areas like sports stadiums, museums, and public transportation hubs. Just like many current soap dispensers, though, that’s not to guarantee that they’ll be regularly filled.
6. Contactless Doors Will Become More Commonplace
Retail stores have used automated doors for decades, and we may see them gaining popularity in businesses, government buildings, museums, and even homes. The technology is already in place in some instances through handicap access buttons, and we may see more people utilizing their elbows to push access buttons such as these.
Along those lines, some businesses are already installing mechanisms by which you can use your elbow or your foot to open a door. With automation already on the rise, though, sensors that trigger an opening seem like a better investment.
7. Driverless Delivery Will Accelerate
Merging improvements we were seeing in driverless technology before COVID-19 even hit with today’s desire for contactless delivery options, companies will be working toward expanding the driverless delivery market. We’ve seen some of this through drones already. Blockchain will allow customers to track their deliveries in real-time.
8. The Rise of the Remote Work Industry
As a potential second wave of COVID-19 looms and as businesses see the benefits they reap from employees working remotely, we’ll see an acceleration of the remote work industry. This had already been on the rise with companies such as WeWork creating working spaces for freelancers, but now we’ll see businesses popping up to help people flourish while working from home. Predictably, this will include enhancing the tech for home offices, with perhaps further advances in online collaborative tools for video conferencing software like Zoom and for product management tools such as Basecamp and Trello. As well, home offices will be glamorized through more customizable desks and chairs than the standard in-office furniture.
Beyond the obvious, though, we may see the health and wellness industries finding more ways to offer support to those who are working from home. Virtual yoga, virtual therapy, and virtual happy hours are already taking place, and some companies may find ways to enhance these sorts of experiences with, for example, related drone deliveries. On the other hand, there may also be businesses popping up to help people unplug and destress.
9. Online Shopping Will Innovate
E-commerce will continue to drive sales, but as businesses look to increase sales they’ll be looking for new ways to snag eyes. Email marketing campaigns may become more personalized and more dynamic. Websites will look to become more user-friendly, perhaps implementing more artificial intelligence to make suggested picks. Retailers will experiment with more video, shopstreaming, webinars, and virtual events to drive traffic.
10. Innovators Will Continue to Help Others Through Open-source Solution
Many people turned to open-source solutions during the pandemic to offer 3D printers, tech and design skills, patterns for face masks, and other necessities to help each other. Crowdsourcing sites like GoFundMe were already popular and will continue to be used. People will utilize technology to generously help each other and advocate for social good.