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When I was growing up, shopping meant going from store to store in search of the perfect pair of jeans or a new favorite dress. I always had a mission: I was looking for something specific. And even in grocery stores, I loved just strolling the aisles to see which food items looked good and what new products were available.

When you think of luxury, what comes to mind? A luxury car like a Ferrari or Lamborghini? Flying first class to Bora Bora? Or maybe it’s finally getting your hands on that Vitamix you’ve been eyeing since last Christmas.

With the world still in the grip of a global pandemic, it’s clear that life as we know it has drastically changed. Covid-19 now looks like it will be with us for a long time. And the implications for the business world are only just starting to become clear.

The world is in a state of shock. COVID-19 spread as quickly as it started and doesn’t look like it’s slowing down anytime soon. Countries around the globe have instituted statewide (or even nationwide) quarantines and lockdowns, affecting every single industry – from healthcare to fitness to food.

Over the past year, the world threw us a curveball. What we once saw as normal shifted drastically, from social distancing to more and more employers allowing their staff to work from home. When the pandemic first hit last year, we went into a state of shock that resulted in the world basically shutting down. No cars in the streets, everybody was mandated to stay home, and there was talk about sending the National Guard to certain cities.

Is it just me or is there a new buzzword every year? I remember when AI (Artificial Intelligence) and ML (Machine Learning) were the “it” buzzwords of the time. Fast forward to 2022, the new buzzwords seem to be Metaverse and Blockchain. If this has taught us anything, it’s that our world is in a constant state of flux.

When the pandemic hit last year, consumer shopping trends drastically shifted. Pre-pandemic businesses were already moving to digital platforms, but the pandemic was a true forcing function. When the world shut down in March 2020, we were told it would only be a 3-week quarantine, which I, like many others, naively believed.

I don’t know about you, but I never thought I would live through a global pandemic. I’ve read about them in history books, but I always thought, “not me!” When Covid-19 hit last year, the world was in a state of fear. People were contracting the virus around the globe and taking precautionary measures like never before. The pandemic affected everything, from personal health to how we socialize, from large retailers to mom and pop shops. Businesses had to adapt while adhering to the new safety mandates.