Rocking lockdown – the businesses that are thriving
Now is not a good time for many businesses; some are experiencing the toughest times they have ever been through, having been forced to cease trading, furlough employees, and take out loans just to stay afloat.
However, there are a few business models that are forging ahead and thriving throughout this new, restrictive way of living. With people staying home to stay safe, ‘popping to the shops’ is a thing of the past, with every outing having to be carefully considered. Supermarkets are one of the only retail categories allowed to stay open during lockdown, and many are using their permitted ‘essentials’ shop to stock up. Some items are quickly selling out, and supermarkets are having to put restrictions in place to stop people over-buying. And that’s not all! Business has boomed for their online stores too; millions more shoppers have signed up for home delivery, prompting retailers to advertise vacancies for extra pickers and delivery drivers.
We’ve been fairly lucky with the weather during lockdown, but the odd rainy day can feel like it lasts a lifetime when you are unable to leave the house. What better way to spend those miserable days than with a good old boxset binge? Streaming services such as Netflix and BritBox are a saviour right now; it’s the perfect time to catch up on popular shows such as Killing Eve and old favourites like Breaking Bad.
Even when businesses are physically unable to trade, they can still quote for work or tempt customers for when they reopen. And many are doing exactly that by hiring marketing companies to line up leads for when they reopen. Online businesses, such as social media management agencies and PR companies, are working smart – using lockdown to generate future business for their clients.
We can’t recall a time when Amazon wasn’t popular, but it’s reached new highs over the past few weeks, forced to prioritise deliveries of essential items due to a huge surge in orders. So, with staying in the new going out, the only issue for businesses that have really found their locked down feet: will they be able to keep up with demand?