Looking Towards the Future: Our 2021 Predictions

by Emma Silveira, Marketing Intern

At the beginning of the “20’s”, the world was hit with the COVID-19 pandemic, a massive unexpected event which forced us all through a learning curve adapting to the new realities of day-to-day life. From travel to retail to healthcare, every industry felt the domino effect of economies closing, of anxieties heightening, of life changing. That being said, we didn’t quite hit the mark with all of our 2020 predictions. This year will be a time of adapting to our new environment and reinventing traditional concepts that often went overlooked:

Finding Multiple Sources of Income

During the beginning of the pandemic many individuals were laid off or given fewer hours. They began to seek financial relief offered by the government, if you were fortunate enough to live in a country where such things were possible, and many any individuals realized that relying on one source of income could be risky. People had to re-evaluate their feelings of security within their occupation and explore other non-traditional sources of income. In the United States, business formations rose by nearly 42% in 2020, and we predict that the Canadian economy will follow suit. Now more than ever, there’s a variety of employment and freelance opportunities available for individuals to pursue as a side hustle.

• Shruti Gupta, Senior Product Designer

Streaming Services are the New Movie Theatre

With lockdown enforcement measures forcing traditional cinema-goers to pay for a movie premiere online, we have seen a massive surge in popularity for TV and online streaming like never before. An annual study on media habits in the UK found that 12 million people joined a streaming service and three million of these viewers had never subscribed to any service before. It’s safe to say that even when lockdowns are lifted around the globe, people will most likely keep their subscription to their streaming services and possibly skip their frequent outings to the movie theatre. We’re seeing companies expand their services to offer their users ways to connect with their friends no matter where they are. A great example of this is Teleparty, previously known as Netflix Party, which allows users to remotely connect with friends to watch shows or movies together in real time. Teleparty synchronizes video playback and enables group chat to Netflix, Disney, Hulu and HBO.

• Rachel Hammermueller, Marketing

Grocery Revival

The long-forecasted online grocery shopping boom happened all at once in 2020. Grocery sales have increased by 10% in 2020 which can be associated with the increase in e-commerce grocery platforms as people opted to remain indoors in early 2020. Now more than ever, food industry companies need to improve their online purchasing platforms and digitally transform to increase buying efficiency. Since grocery began moving to online platforms nearly half of consumers say they prefer online grocery shopping. Grocers now plan to invest in labor-management technology and dedicate spaces to in-store pick up for their customers. Due to the high demand for alternatives to in-store grocery shopping, many mobile and web-based platform options such as grocery delivery apps, online subscriptions, and e-grocery will continue to expand, develop, and prosper in 2021.

• Alfie Tham, Director of Engineering

Flight Prices Will Hit The Roof

Travelling is at a standstill around the globe at the moment, and travel fanatics have had to stay in one location for far too long. With everyone eager to get back into a plane, train, or automobile seat, we predict that there will be a surge in flight prices once vaccinations become available. It’s predicted that by 2025 prices will begin to increase on average by 27%, but we think that prices will gradually increase shortly once COVID-19 vaccinations are distributed around the world. As demand grows to travel internationally, we predict people will be more susceptible to pay a premium for plane tickets so they can resume the plans they held before 2020.

• Shruti Gupta, Senior Product Designer

Last Mile Delivery

Autonomous last-mile delivery consists of autonomous vehicles that deliver a product or service to a customer’s doorstep without any human intervention in the entire process. This is a tech advancement that is projected to be valued at around $12 billion in 2021. Many last-mile delivery operated companies and product delivery services have started using drones and ground delivery vehicles to deliver products faster. Customers want complete transparency in transactions, and there are many small implications that can occur that could ruin a customer’s experience such as delivery delays due to human error. The use of advanced last-mile delivery software can help iron out the creases, giving you full control and visibility into your customers’ experience. This advancement could ease the stress new users have about ordering services or products online which could increase sales for many companies.

• Will Ginsberg, Agile Software Engineer

P.s., check out our tutorial OnFleet: Last Mile Delivery in 7 lines of code

Our Perspective of Work and Retirement is Changing

As older generations have left the working field and entered retirement, we have seen how the younger generation’s views on work-life balance and retirement structure are changing to form a new normal. Research has shown that a flexible retirement is the new ideal, according to a Merrill Lynch/Age Wave survey: 24% want to cycle between leisure and work, and 39% want to work part-time. It’s interesting to note that individuals think that working is an antidote for aging and so we believe careers post-retirement will become a trend in the future. Retirement is being envisioned as a time where individuals can do what they want, when they want, which may include finding new ways to bring in a source of income. Retirement may more commonly refer to individuals retiring from their full-time jobs but not give up their career entirely.

• Alfie Tham, Director of Engineering

The Rise of Hobby Insta’s

As we were spending the majority of 2020 indoors, we saw many trends surface, ranging from DIY tie-dye sweatsuits to whipped coffee. People began finding new ways to fill their day by exploring new hobbies or talents they acquired during the pandemic. Since people were becoming creative with their free time, we’ve seen more individuals activate new Instagram accounts for their new-found hobby or small business, and we believe this will continue to happen. I’ve seen many of my peers creating Instagram accounts for their new small businesses: rug making, photoshop, interior decor, and more and I’ve got to say it’s incredible what people can do when given the opportunity. So treat this as a reminder to support your local small businesses!

• Shruti Gupta, Senior Product Designer

Emma is a Marketing Intern who enjoys creating marketing and social media campaigns and strategies. She also enjoys getting outside to go for runs or walks with her friends when she has the free time.

TribalScale is a global innovation firm that helps enterprises adapt and thrive in the digital era. We transform teams and processes, build best-in-class digital products, and create disruptive startups. Learn more about us on our website. Connect with us on Twitter, LinkedIn & Facebook!