Covid:19


when it comes to diversifying have really struggled these past few months. However those offering ‘appointment only’ service, and a strong ecommerce option have really prospered. Moving forward those retailers who can adapt to the changing nature of retail will really thrive.


Supply chain diversification In January and early February, we saw a crisis for many that rely on Chinese companies as part of its supply chain. With as many as 81 per cent of companies globally relying on Chinese suppliers, the pandemic has exposed how some companies have been relying on only a set number of partners in which to conduct business. Fast forward a few months and we have a similar situation in Europe and North America, with supply chain issues affecting those with only a limited pathway to trade. In light of this, expect to see a divestment in supply, an increase of local supply chains and multinationals expanding their local presence in territories across the world.


Increase of buying local To complement the changing nature of the supply chain, a number of independent retailers and outlets are feeling the pinch of the global lockdown period. The landscape of retailing could well change forever. As a caveat to the changing nature of supply, the increase of sustainability issues and pressures on globalisation due to Covid-19, there may well be a trend, particularly in the developed world, of a rejection of globalisation, and a return to buying local and supporting independents – well those that have managed to survive this intense period. Housewares independents may well prosper as a result.


Change in social customs Covid-19, self-isolation and social distancing are phrases we’ll never forget. In many cultures, the handshake greeting or the kiss on the cheek may well become a thing of the past. The


July/August 2020


issues of hygiene and how quickly colds and flu can be spread will on the minds of many, and it could well spell a revolution in how people meet and greet. It’ll be fascinating to see if and how this develops. 12 months ago, the view that a handshake could become extinct would seem daft, but it’s certainly not out of the question now…


“Expect more online seminars and virtual


meetings, and we look on with interest at how the


digital editions of Exclusively Housewares and others develop in 2020”


A new wave of apprentices? Lockdown has proved to be a busy period for British manufacturing, and housewares manufacturers are no different. What More UK is looking to take on a number of new apprentices, and this may well be a trend as those of a more mature age may be looking to use the lockdown period as a time to reflect and retire from the industry. From a manufacturing point of view this may see the need to look to bring through the next generation of manufacturers.


Cash no longer king Along with ecommerce, the Covid-19 situation will undoubtedly further accelerate the demise of cash as a currency for consumers on the high street. A mixture of hygiene, convenience and progress, may well see consumers come to expect cashless as the go to payment methods. For independents with minimum card spend, it may be wise to look at revising such payment terms.


• HousewaresLive.net • twitter.com/Housewaresnews housewareslive.net | 31


Going Vegan and millennials that bake New research from Mintel reveals that a quarter of young British Millennials (aged 21-30) say that the Covid-19 pandemic has made a vegan diet more appealing. While many Brits are venturing outside the home again, it seems the lock down has had a lasting impact on their eating habits. Almost two in five consumers believe that, in the future, people will buy long- life food and drink such as UHT milk and tinned food more often as a result of the Covid-19 outbreak, rising to almost half of Generation Z and Millennials. Meanwhile, one in seven Brits has been eating more tinned food since Covid- 19, rising to a quarter of Gen Z and one in five Millennials. Prompting a ‘waste not want not’ mentality, almost seven in ten (69%) Brits say the outbreak has encouraged them to waste less food at home. Finally, Mintel research reveals that the virus


has created a long-term interest in cooking and baking as more than half of the nation say they plan on cooking more from scratch post-Covid- 19 than they did before.


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