How the Pandemic Shaped a Frictionless Future

COVID-19 was a forcing function for change within many organizations. From a commercial perspective, cost structures, marketing channels, and backend systems that maintained the status quo for years - if not decades - were upended, not because they were poorly managed but because they quickly became outdated as customer preference shifted. Similarly, many research and development projects that were on the backburner or planned for “sometime in the future” were immediately prioritized to accommodate the new environment, while others were pushed completely off the stove. Restaurants rapidly prototyped ideas, like implementing tablet-based ordering in their parking lots. Retailers and grocers experimented with outdoor waiting lines spaced 6-feet apart and implementing online reservation systems. Live events and conferences were canceled, with many switching almost exclusively to digital formats. All of these changes had a single focus in mind: meeting consumer expectations while staying compliant. Gimbal set out to highlight all these changes in a whitepaper that focuses on the marketing, operational, and logistical challenges brands, retailers, restaurants, and grocers will likely face in a post-COVID world. It spotlights trends and statistics about consumer behavior and preferences, and offers ideas and solutions to solve the most pressing challenges.