Consumer expectations of convenience have been transformed by the COVID-19 pandemic. Before, high smartphone penetration and widely available 4G and Wi-Fi networks helped on-demand streaming, same-day shipping, and round-the-clock delivery flourish. Yet where these services were once seen as merely gratifying, the experience of lockdown led many to instead consider them urgent, indispensable necessities. As online shopping surged, the culture of ‘I want it now’ became the culture of ‘I need it now’. This demand for fast access to diverse services will not taper off as the pandemic abates.
Hyperfast digitised services appeal because they fulfil a ballooning desire for instant gratification and because contemporary convenience hinges on easy-to-use interfaces that help consumers meet their needs seamlessly. But the mechanics of consumerism are complex, and just as shoppers are getting used to summoning their every wish with a keystroke, global supply chains have buckled. By the end of 2021, shipping container shortages, backlogged ports, a lack of factory workers and truck drivers, and disruptive weather events caused by climate change collided, making many consumer goods harder to buy. The fragility of our supply chains – and our planet – seems to be telling us to slow down. Will we be too diva-ish to listen?
