10 Things That Have Forever Changed Heading Into the New Normal

February 12, 2021 5 min read

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

We are already in February 2021, however, it is worth reflecting on 2020 and the changes in our lives that are here to stay. In a year that was challenging for everyone in more ways than one, we learned how to take advantage of the situation and adapt to the new normal.

Adjustments in the routine, new ways of doing things and enjoying free time, as well as the transformation of our personal habits, are part of the things that this year brought us and that will be a trend in 2021. Here are the 10 things that arrived to stay.

1. Greater cleaning in the house . As 2020 progressed, consumer hygiene and disinfection habits also increased, in an effort to keep homes free of external agents. In the first quarter of last year alone, the aerosol and spray disinfectant market grew 240% compared to 2019, where disinfectant products achieved their best results in 10 years.

2. Cook more at home. One of the activities at home that increased the most is cooking. According to the consulting firm Nielsen, some kitchen utensils, especially those for baking cakes, increased in demand during the Easter holiday period. On the other hand, the purchase of Royal baking powder increased by 74% compared to the previous year, mainly due to changes in consumer behavior, who made cooking and baking at home a more recurrent activity.

3. Changes in the work routine. According to a study applied by the firm Citrix Systems, only 4 out of 10 companies in Mexico gave remote work options to their employees, prior to the pandemic. On the other hand, in the survey “New Normality, New Forms of Work” carried out by PwC MES Mexico, 97% of those surveyed want telework to be maintained permanently and 58% believe that productivity increased with this modality.

4. The boom of video calling platforms . According to a study carried out by the MX Internet Association (AIMX), in conjunction with OCCMundial, prior to the pandemic more than 50% of people indicated that video calls were not used frequently in their work. However, use increased significantly to 9 out of 10 respondents. The use of these tools also increased for distance education, as platforms such as Zoom have reported growth four times higher than in 2019, with profits of around 663.5 million dollars in the last year.

5. More general shopping on the digital shelf. According to the Mexican Association for Online Sales, 50% of the companies that market in Mexico via e-commerce doubled their growth online during the pandemic, where products that previously did not have such a significant presence in the channel have especially benefited, such as pantry products.

6. Snacks, now purchased online . According to the State of Snacking 2020 study carried out by the multinational Mondelēz International in alliance with the market research firm Harris Insights and Analytics, prior to 2020 it was unlikely to think about buying cookies or gum on the internet, but currently 73% of Respondents in Mexico started buying snacks online because it is safer (or less risky) and 69% expect to continue buying snacks online after the pandemic. And this is reflected in results because at the end of 2020, Mondelēz Mexico registered a total growth in snack sales of 267% only in the ecommerce channel.

7. New rituals to share. According to the same source, 60% of families indicated that they have developed new rituals or routines during the pandemic, for example, eating cookies or popcorn to watch TV after finishing homework. The virtual coexistence also gained popularity, many Mexicans recently celebrated the Rosca de Reyes and Christmas remotely with other members of the family. In fact, 28% of the Millennials surveyed have virtually shared a snack in conferences via Zoom, Facetime or WhatsApp video.

8. Increased use of electronic devices . According to a survey conducted by the Universidad Panamericana, 65% of people of legal age indicate that the use of their cell phone has increased “a lot” or “a lot” as a result of the pandemic.

9. Streaming is king. According to the statistical firm Statista, at the end of last year, Mexico was close to accumulating almost 15 million subscribers to video-on-demand services, platforms that have had a significant boom due to social isolation. Only in the last year 3.3 million Mexicans hired a service of this type, with an estimated increase of 18.5 percent in the number of users.

10. Gaming at home. the consumption of content related to gaming has been one of those that has grown the most. According to data from Arsenal.gg, only in the period from March to June 2020, the hours viewed of content related to video games on platforms such as Twitch, Facebook Gaming and Youtube Gaming increased by 25% on average. Only the Rivals tournament, of the Mexican League of Videogames, Trident and Halls had 4.3 million views and a reach of 7.1 million people during the 2020 season, which was held 100% online.

These changes in habits are part of the transformation we have undergone and will undoubtedly continue to be present in 2021, a year that will never cease to amaze us and will continue to teach us to adapt to a world that changed forever.

What other things have you changed in your usual routine as a result of the pandemic and quarantine?