Has COVID-19 Permanently Changed How We Shop and Live?

WASHINGTON - Curbside pickup, grocery delivery and Zoom meetings became the norm for the many who stayed home at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, as businesses looked for ways to survive during quarantine. But how many of those changes are here to stay?

"I am actually not seeing many pandemic practices that are here to stay for business," James Schrager, a clinical professor at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business, told VOA in an email ahead of an interview. "As we track in-person retail, it is booming. Flying is wildly busy. People want in-person instruction in classes," Schrager says. "Food delivery isn't growing, it is shrinking, and most realize it wasn't a profitable business for grocery retailers. People are glad to go back to see their doctors for routine check-ups. The snap-back to normal is almost complete and even cruise ships are starting to get booked." But other COVID-19 changes may be more lasting.