Even Engagement Rings Are a Curbside Purchase Now
A lasting legacy of Covid-era shopping is that customers have more choice from more stores about how and where they receive online orders.
Curbside pickup isn’t just for groceries anymore.
Photographer: Signet Jewelers Ltd.
As recovery from the coronavirus pandemic continues, Bloomberg Opinion is running a series of columns looking at crisis-inspired innovations that promise better living over the long run — from more resilient economies, cleaner cities and healthier offices to five-star meal kits and less unnecessary business travel.
Many aspects of shopping were frustrating at times during the pandemic: Items were perpetually out of stock, shipping delays were commonplace and, in some cases, it was harder to get things at a discount. But there is at least one way in which shopping was vastly improved during this transformational year: Retailers now offer consumers more choice about how their online orders are fulfilled. It’s a welcome change that should persist, helping fuel further growth in e-commerce.