Post COVID Changes

[Frenns Liquor Depot]

Based on the number of people that have already voted early in person or by mail, this has to be something that gets institutionalized post COVID.  It's just too popular.

Others?
- e-Commerce I dont think the acceleration ever goes backwards
- Curbside pickup - there are some stores I never want to go back to
- More take-home dining - will this be something that shifts more permanently?
- Work from home - I don't think I will go into the office 5 days a week for an extended time ever again.

[tower912]

More golf.
More hiking in woods.

It is going to be a long time before I attend an indoor sporting event in a packed arena.

Or go to a bar.

[Uncle Rico]

Based on the number of people that have already voted early in person or by mail, this has to be something that gets institutionalized post COVID.  It's just too popular.

Others?
- e-Commerce I dont think the acceleration ever goes backwards
- Curbside pickup - there are some stores I never want to go back to
- More take-home dining - will this be something that shifts more permanently?
- Work from home - I don't think I will go into the office 5 days a week for an extended time ever again.

Deal with retail ona daily basis.  Many retailers have hired people to deal strictly with curbside pickup.  Think any retailer that walks away from this business will make a mistake.

I miss in-person dining.  People like my parents have this belief it tastes better at the restaurant.  Comes out hotter, fresher.  At least that’s what my father believes.  Probably a generational thing.  I’m a Gen X’er and I like the restaurant/bar experience.

My company is dying to have meetings in person again.  My experience says while some may do more work at home, I’m not sure how widespread it will be but I certainly don’t dismiss it.  I’m pro zoom meeting because I clean my house during them

[MUfan12]

It is going to be a long time before I attend an indoor sporting event in a packed arena.

Or go to a bar.

Personally, I'm hoping I can go to a ballgame in the second half of next season. My first indoor event will probably be the 2021 MU home opener.

What I miss most is my pickup games every week. Can't wait until it's safe enough to play again.

[GooooMarquette]

Agree completely on mail-in voting and working from home. The latter will likely be full-time for some jobs and part-time for others (i.e., go into the office when you have important meetings and such).

Not so sure about long-term changes in social places like restaurants and bars. Humans need interaction, and they provide good venues for it.

I also think this will cause long-term changes in peoples' mindsets about money. The Great Depression and WWII created people who were more frugal and less materialistic, and this could do the same.

And I agree with tower on greater appreciation for recreational activities that get people outside. Hiking in the woods, walking through the neighborhood, kids on bikes again (gasp!).

[pacearrow02]

Parent teacher conferences today, all done via zoom of course and I pray that is the path moving forward.

Hard pass on going back to the old way of waiting in the hallway to then sit down in a little tyke chair to hear about lil Johnny needing to work on this or that but he’s great at this and that.

Agree that for many professions the 5 day in office work week will be a thing of the past.  3 in, 2 out seems to make a lot of sense to me (generally speaking).

[Frenns Liquor Depot]

Parent teacher conferences today, all done via zoom of course and I pray that is the path moving forward.

That's a good one.  I am on a Board for a local museum.  I never want to waste the 1.5 hour round trip drive for the Sat discussion more than once or twice a year.  Plus now we can easily add experts from around the country.

[MUBurrow]

- More take-home dining - will this be something that shifts more permanently?

I miss in-person dining.  People like my parents have this belief it tastes better at the restaurant.  Comes out hotter, fresher.  At least that’s what my father believes.  Probably a generational thing.  I’m a Gen X’er and I like the restaurant/bar experience.

I hope the option for take-home dining sticks at most places, though I would understand if it doesn't given the negative impact on alcohol sales.  But if there's been one bright spot to all this for me, its been taking home meals from restaurants that I couldn't before, or at least never considered it. Then again I'll probably be singing a different tune and mourning for in-person dining in January when eating in my backyard isn't an option.

[MU Fan in Connecticut]

Based on the number of people that have already voted early in person or by mail, this has to be something that gets institutionalized post COVID.  It's just too popular.

Others?
- e-Commerce I dont think the acceleration ever goes backwards
- Curbside pickup - there are some stores I never want to go back to
- More take-home dining - will this be something that shifts more permanently?
- Work from home - I don't think I will go into the office 5 days a week for an extended time ever again.

I agree mostly. 
- My family has always taken out & eaten out quite a bit, but it has obviously been all take-out and I would love to sprinkle dinning out back in the equation.  But I know we won't until a vaccine has been widely distributed. 
- For MUBurrow, Connecticut has temporarily allowed alcohol take-out (with some stipulations) to help restaurants.  If I understand correctly our Governor wants to make permanent.   
- I have been in the office every day during the pandemic but there were reasons.
     *Small company.  We were deemed essential and asking machine operators to come in so I had to come in to show support.  Company President did the same.
     *I have my own office with a door.
     *My wife was home online teaching and both kids were at home online learning and I never would have gotten anything done.
- Agree with Uncle Rico, that I need in-person meetings again.  I need to make sales visits and calls won't cut.  It's hard enough getting 15 minutes with an existing customer for a visit "when I'm in the neighborhood", so forget trying to set up a Teams call.  They are also more forthcoming sharing information in person.  For some reason, corporate leaders are still pushing aggressive sales targets in the middle of the pandemic that would be hard-pressed even to meet were there not one.

[Uncle Rico]

I agree mostly. 
- My family has always taken out & eaten out quite a bit, but it has obviously been all take-out and I would love to sprinkle dinning out back in the equation.  But I know we won't until a vaccine has been widely distributed. 
- For MUBurrow, Connecticut has temporarily allowed alcohol take-out (with some stipulations) to help restaurants.  If I understand correctly our Governor wants to make permanent.   
- I have been in the office every day during the pandemic but there were reasons.
     *Small company.  We were deemed essential and asking machine operators to come in so I had to come in to show support.  Company President did the same.
     *I have my own office with a door.
     *My wife was home online teaching and both kids were at home online learning and I never would have gotten anything done.
- Agree with Uncle Rico, that I need in-person meetings again.  I need to make sales visits and calls won't cut.  It's hard enough getting 15 minutes with an existing customer for a visit "when I'm in the neighborhood", so forget trying to set up a Teams call.  They are also more forthcoming sharing information in person.  For some reason, corporate leaders are still pushing aggressive sales targets in the middle of the pandemic that would be hard-pressed even to meet were there not one.

My particular business is thriving in Covid and sales numbers have risen at non-sustainable rates.  Fully expect my bosses and suppliers to understand that next year 😬

[MU82]

My SIL works for Microsoft, and they already have announced they are going to a work-from-home alternative for most positions. Most also will be able to relocate if they want to, as Seattle is an extremely expensive area. However, they have not finalized their plans and they said they might have to examine if those moving to a cheaper location would still be paid the same. One reason Microsoft says it has paid as much they do is that they account for the cost of living in Seattle.

An interesting possible consequence if Microsoft employees move away in droves will be the way it affects housing prices and rentals. Especially in the Redmond area, where so many Microsoft employees live. Lots of entrepreneurs own rentals in the area, where rents have done nothing but go up-up-up for years, and apartments rarely sit empty for long. Interesting stuff.

BTW, I agree with those who say most out-to-eat food tastes better when one dines in. I like it right out of the kitchen and on my plate. Most of the take-out stuff we have bought these last 7 months has been easily popped in the oven or microwave: pizza, Asian, Greek, Mexican, etc. But some just doesn't do well. Hot sammiches, steaks, chops, etc, only good eat-in IMHO. Plus, as some have said, part of the reason to pony up the $$$ for dining is the atmosphere. We miss going out to our favorite couple of sports bars on Sundays to watch football, drink Bloody Marys and enjoy greasy food. We miss the occasional "date night." So I hope the take-out thing isn't permanent.

Voting should be made easier and easier and easier. We need everybody to be able to vote easily. I can fill out my taxes online, buy $100K in stock online, buy/sell a car online, but I can't vote that way? There's got to be a way to make it secure and fraud-resistant.

[Billy Hoyle]

I hope the option for take-home dining sticks at most places, though I would understand if it doesn't given the negative impact on alcohol sales.  But if there's been one bright spot to all this for me, its been taking home meals from restaurants that I couldn't before, or at least never considered it. Then again I'll probably be singing a different tune and mourning for in-person dining in January when eating in my backyard isn't an option.

Out here restaurants are able to sell beer for takeout/pickup and in WA, premixed cocktails are permitted for to go and OR is moving in that direction. My wife and I have definitely purchased more beer than usual for pick-up and home consumption. At a friend's brewery, pints are $6 but takeout cans are $4. Crowlers at some of my favorite places are between $5 and $8. It has been fun to meet up with friends outside to do can and bottle sharing, but yeah, now that it's getting colder that's going to be an issue.

[The Lens]

Another benefit of in person dining is the cadence of the meal.  Now if bring home a nice meal for "date night" we're done in 20 minutes vs. the 90-120 that we would have spent at the restaurant.  That's what I miss the most.  That and sitting at the bar with a great game on. 

[ZiggysFryBoy]

Another benefit of in person dining is the cadence of the meal.  Now if bring home a nice meal for "date night" we're done in 20 minutes vs. the 90-120 that we would have spent at the restaurant.  That's what I miss the most.  That and sitting at the bar with a great game on.

More time to ride the bone roller coaster.  Oh.  Oh.

[Frenns Liquor Depot]

Drinks with friends in public parks may be another one for me.

[Galway Eagle]

Drinks with friends in public parks may be another one for me.

+1

[MU Fan in Connecticut]

Drinks with friends in public parks may be another one for me.

+2

[Skatastrophy]

I've been working in venture-backed startups for a while now.

1. Post covid, Venture dollars will loosen back up. The VC dollars drying up has driven many post-revenue companies that are scaling quickly to have to cut costs to increase their runway. Rounds just aren't coming together like they used to, and timelines are getting pushed out 6-12 months.

2. Many colleagues/friends from larger tech companies are dipping into entrepreneurialism. I've helped a few friends set up their companies and they're off to the races. Working from home they've turned their downtime at work into a service/product offering. And not just solo-consulting gigs, but businesses focused on growth gunning for a potential acquisition in the future.

I'm hopeful that the entrepreneurial spirit sticks around post-covid. People coming through this crisis living in large cities are building their resilience and risk tolerance, which should translate well to building businesses. We'll see though.

As an aside: I'm also hopeful that we as a nation use this crisis to fix our healthcare system, because right now it's not cheap for an entrepreneur to buy solo insurance. Much less if you're unemployed right now. Having your insurance tied to your employer is ridiculous and is stifling innovation in the US.

[GooooMarquette]

As an aside: I'm also hopeful that we as a nation use this crisis to fix our healthcare system, because right now it's not cheap for an entrepreneur to buy solo insurance. Much less if you're unemployed right now. Having your insurance tied to your employer is ridiculous and is stifling innovation in the US.

Hopefully that will be the most significant legal/regulatory outcome of the pandemic. Whether it’s single-payer, Obamacare 2, or a looser system, healthcare coverage needs to be a universal right, and preexisting condition limitations should disappear.

[jesmu84]

Fix healthcare?

Lol.

Monied interests don't want it "fixed" and they have a lot more money/influence/power than the rest of us.

This is despite national polling data in favor of universal healthcare.

[Mutaman]

Just went to the bodega- Can report NYC is not a ghost town.