Some people just don't have the dedicated space
I'm with you on this one. Which is why, I have been coming into work even during the lockdowns. That, and I'm also an essential worker .. but I was happy to come in just because of the dedicated, distraction-free, well connected (internet speed wise) workspace that my work offers ..
Also, I live in a share-house with 4 people and between 9am and 11am the house sounds like a call center with everyone having their standups and meetings etc .. and the internet is pathetic. Especially for a programmer like me, I live & breathe on fast internet and being able to access help sources almost instantly .. What I have realised is, as a programmer, there is only a few hours in a workday my mind is "active" .. so I need to make the best of my "active" hours and to do that efficiently I need to be in office and NOT WFH !!
The rise of the local coffee shop.
I SOOO WISH your statement comes true. I might open a small coffee place soon and would like to see it flourish ... I live near CBR city and I think it's a very good business area to open a "traditional" coffee shop .. fingers crossed !!
What good can you see coming from this?
I also think that, for at least a year after we are out of the pandemic, people might be a bit hesitant to travel ... just due to the fear of contracting infections or what if there were unvaccinated people in the place I'm visiting .. that sort of a feeling ... but a couple of years down the line leisure & business travel will bounce back and people will do more trips ...
Me, personally, might choose NOT to travel immediately after the pandemic is over, unless of course, it is for compelling personal/business reasons ... I might be comfortable to be indoorsy for a bit before I get back to my pre-CoVID travel patterns ...
I think, all the industries will come out of the pandemic being wiser and smarter in their business decisions and alter their offerings to suit a variety of clientele ... Food delivery services will ALWAYS be an essential service, with nothing slowing them down ... Customers are now getting used to the idea of no leaving their couch to order their meal/drinks ... so some will choose to stay that way providing more business to delivery drivers. In my part-time gig, I spend over half a day just packing delivery boxes of booze ... so I see how much business alcohol delivery drivers are making ... <ka-ching>
People will become more aware (sanitation wise, health wise, money wise) and make better decisions ... for instance, people will start to see the cost-value when doing things ... a typical question might be, "do I go to my local beach and spend $50 or drive 200 kms to a bigger beach and spend $300" .. "what can I do to support my local business" etc etc ... or "I don't think I should go out today, I feel a bit under the weather, may be I will stay indoors today"
I think the people will also become more organised .. no more haphazard or impromptu shopping ... let's plan, make a list, stick to the list, get in & get out .. no more or very limited loitering in the shopping malls, window shopping etc .. no more buying a cuppa in *Bucks and spending 3 hours using up the free wifi ...
The population, in general, will start to appreciate small things in life ... I think ... I hope .. I dream ...