2020 will go down in history as a big year, not just because the world woke up to the very real threat of a global pandemic, but also because it has set a chain of events underway, likely to echo throughout our futures for years to come.
In a year that seems to have both, lasted forever but moved so fast, innovation, social change and government policy has been evolving at the kind of breakneck speed not seen since the last world wars. We've seen grans and grandads get on video chat, shopping has moved almost exclusively online, silence on racism become unacceptable and governments have printed helicopter cash to keep the blood of the economy running.
All this proceeded in March by the deepest market crash since the 30's with anyone and everyone running to cash, only for the all time lows to be superseded by huge double digit gains on the other side.
For us, as a company born in the chaos of the 2008 financial crash, it all seemed vaguely familiar. And as many businesses we worked with, took stock to decide what their next steps would be, we quickly pulled together solutions we thought would make sense. For local business we offered click and collect with simple delivery slots on Shopify. Also taking the opportunity to build out our own peer to peer sales Shopify App called Alvio to help make business relationships easier and more efficient in the digital age.
Many of our clients who had either already invested in, or were first out of the gates to get their online operations running smoothly, have seen huge returns, as unprecedented levels of customer demand gravitated to simple, clear online services.
As this has all played out, it became very clear how important it is to run a smooth efficient online operation. Even more so when for some in 2020 it was the only viable revenue stream. Many of our clients who had either already invested in, or were first out of the gates to get their online operations running smoothly, have seen huge returns, as unprecedented levels of customer demand gravitated to simple clear online services.
In the run into BFCM, store owners were already seeing elevated demand and that weekend broke all kinds of records for Shopify.
With the reality slowly sinking in that things may never be the same again, 2020 has been a watershed year for digital adoption. It has perhaps accelerated 5 years of digital change into one memorable but equally forgettable year, forever changing how we do almost everything.
Importantly, despite all the uncertainty, 2020 has provided some really positive moments.
Importantly, despite all the uncertainty, 2020 has provided some really positive moments. Allowing time to reflect with family, take stock of what is important in our lives and perhaps find more appreciation for our environment. If that motivates us to create a more sustainable resilient future both for ourselves and our wider society, then here's to 2021 - because it's got to be a lot better.
