[{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BlogPosting","@id":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/2020\/04\/23\/covid-19-business-lessons\/#BlogPosting","mainEntityOfPage":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/2020\/04\/23\/covid-19-business-lessons\/","headline":"Rearview analysis: COVID-19 is revealing blind spots in our businesses","name":"Rearview analysis: COVID-19 is revealing blind spots in our businesses","description":"COVID-19 business lessons are visible around the globe as the pandemic reveals blind spots, from supply chain woes to crisis planning to safety precautions. The best businesses will learn and adapt.","datePublished":"2020-04-23","dateModified":"2021-07-26","author":{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/contributor\/amanda-magee\/#Person","name":"Amanda Magee","url":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/contributor\/amanda-magee\/","identifier":383,"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/31d192a92932f8061f51a1ebc0f27663f339079b63a5df3c859f0410e97e8775?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/31d192a92932f8061f51a1ebc0f27663f339079b63a5df3c859f0410e97e8775?s=96&d=mm&r=g","height":96,"width":96}},"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"The Future of Commerce","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/logo-foc-schema-app-1.png","url":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/logo-foc-schema-app-1.png","width":172,"height":60}},"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/covid-19-business-lessons.jpg","url":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/covid-19-business-lessons.jpg","height":375,"width":1200},"url":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/2020\/04\/23\/covid-19-business-lessons\/","video":{"@context":"http:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"VideoObject","@id":"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=3cXYLhCYDqY#VideoObject","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=3cXYLhCYDqY","name":"Onions Losses In Idaho","description":"We are not DUMPING because we don\u2019t have customers or processors to go to. We ARE NOT dumping because we ARE NOT diversified enough in our customer base. We are DUMPING because RESTAURANTS and PROCESSORS are virtually closed. Processors and restaurants don\u2019t need onions when they don\u2019t have customers to consume their products. As soon as the processor has his freezers full he can\u2019t process anymore, regardless of the price. Apparently, YOU ALL eat more onions when you go out to eat, compared to when you eat at home. At least that how it looks in the short-term.","thumbnailUrl":["https:\/\/i.ytimg.com\/vi\/3cXYLhCYDqY\/default.jpg","https:\/\/i.ytimg.com\/vi\/3cXYLhCYDqY\/mqdefault.jpg","https:\/\/i.ytimg.com\/vi\/3cXYLhCYDqY\/hqdefault.jpg","https:\/\/i.ytimg.com\/vi\/3cXYLhCYDqY\/sddefault.jpg"],"uploadDate":"2020-04-08T17:57:22+00:00","duration":"PT1M59S","embedUrl":"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/3cXYLhCYDqY","publisher":{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/channel\/UCUiLvAzX2PQZRrc5GBdBE4Q#Organization","url":"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/channel\/UCUiLvAzX2PQZRrc5GBdBE4Q","name":"Owyhee Produce","description":"We are a new age farm, with old world experience; Owyhee Produce is the combination of 3 generations working side by side lends to a hybrid-farmer\/agi-entrepreneurial business. Froerer Farms is a family business by choice.\r\n\r\nWe do what we say we will: We operate with integrity and honor, by word, by handshake or by contract. Our families' deep connection to the land, our relationship with our customers, and commitment to provide them with the finest produce available is what drives us 365 days a year.\r\n\r\nWe are deeply invested in building an authentic connection with the folks who eat our produce. We want you to know how we grow it, the care and attention given to its quality, and our commitment to ensuring we provide you with the best onions possible.","logo":{"url":"https:\/\/yt3.ggpht.com\/ytc\/AIdro_kYp2rOhTK12-aNABt76eFVL_LPE0lUy8AyhCzrcyOIsg=s800-c-k-c0x00ffffff-no-rj","width":800,"height":800,"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=3cXYLhCYDqY#VideoObject_publisher_logo_ImageObject"}},"potentialAction":{"@type":"SeekToAction","@id":"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=3cXYLhCYDqY#VideoObject_potentialAction","target":"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=3cXYLhCYDqY&t={seek_to_second_number}","startOffset-input":"required name=seek_to_second_number"},"interactionStatistic":[[{"@type":"InteractionCounter","@id":"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=3cXYLhCYDqY#VideoObject_interactionStatistic_WatchAction","interactionType":{"@type":"WatchAction"},"userInteractionCount":4287}],{"@type":"InteractionCounter","@id":"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=3cXYLhCYDqY#VideoObject_interactionStatistic_LikeAction","interactionType":{"@type":"LikeAction"},"userInteractionCount":60}]},"about":[{"@type":"Thing","@id":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/commerce\/commerce-general\/","name":"Commerce","sameAs":["https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Commerce","http:\/\/www.wikidata.org\/entity\/Q26643"]},"COVID-19 and Business"],"wordCount":679,"articleBody":"The internet has been ablaze with people lamenting the loss of milestones\u2014graduation and commencement ceremonies, prom, worship services, and introducing newborns to family.One could take a critical look and muse that involvement in elections, public discourse, and community-wide health could have minimized some of this, but let’s save that for another soapbox.\u00a0\u00a0The reality is we’re all going to miss out on things we wanted, like spring break and neighborhood block parties. We’ll miss backpacking across Europe and spending Saturday morning at hot yoga. We can never go back to thinking that things aren’t inextricably linked.\u00a0People were caught off guard by the equalizing aspects of staying at home, while COVID-19 is revealing blind spots in business.The grocery stores don’t care who you are when they fill pick up slots.\u00a0Amazon Fresh\u00a0will put you on the waitlist, regardless of your address. Your ability to operate on a budget, within a schedule, and on your terms, are over.Take nothing for granted, because nothing is: COVID-19 business lessonsHow others are having to stay at home also impacts everyone, and COVID-19 business lessons abound: Smithfield has announced they are closing down their Sioux Falls, South Dakota processing plant indefinitely after workers came down with coronavirus.Two other\u00a0major meat processors\u00a0in the United States have closed as a result of the virus. The impacts of the virus are also hitting the\u00a0seafood industry, with Chilean salmon supplies threatened as factories close due to coronavirus. The Copper River Salmon\u00a0season is also at risk\u00a0of coronavirus closures and social distancing crackdowns.\u00a0Peloton recently\u00a0halted all live-streamed\u00a0classes, encouraging members to use the thousands of types available on-demand. A\u00a0letter from the CEO of Planet Fitness\u00a0addressed gym closures and assisting people with their fitness lives via an app.It won’t be the last time we hear of entire business models having to pivot, leaving consumers to decide whether they’re willing to deal or if they’ll move on.The move to at-home fitness has led to a direct fall in the purchases of sports gear and bags.\u00a0Already consumer trends are influencing business. There are numerous data points: sales of hair clippers spiked 166% (social media tells us that many were first-timers), and hair coloring product purchases rose 23%, according to Nielsen.This content is hosted by a third party ( twitter.com ).To view the content, either update your cookie preferences or view it in a new browser window.Cookie PreferencesNew WindowAs weddings, proms, and galas are postponed or canceled altogether, sales of bridal clothing and men’s formal wear are among the fastest declining purchases, surpassed in lost sales only by travel luggage and men’s swimwear. There are predictable surges in purchases of disposable gloves, bread yeast, and cough medicines.Sales shifts are impacting supply chains and pummeling farmers like Owyhee Produce. They’re dumping onions because restaurants are closed, and processing facilities are closing. Food banks don’t need or want the volume of onions typically bound for restaurants. Tomatoes and other products cannot be diverted because of the lack of transport options.The domino effect in the supply chain will continue to reveal gaps.\u00a0These weaknesses are revealing blind spots in our businesses; clients and vendors suffer in ways that threaten our bottom line. The urgency reveals staff as liability or asset, critical decisions are forced\u2014reinvention, reassignment, or layoff. The subsequent obstacles demand we learn new processes or that we wholly reinterpret our mission.\u00a0If we are lucky – no, if we are deliberate – we can rise and meet the challenges of supply chains. To avoid a repeat of this global breakdown we’ll need to start by acknowledging that every action and inaction has an impact. We must operate creatively and enthusiastically; our minds and teams open to innovation that may be more mindset based than tech-centric.\u00a0When we acknowledge the depth of our weakness, we discover the power to become more durable than ever before.  The future of business is calling.RISE to the occasion."},{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"2020","item":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/2020\/#breadcrumbitem"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"04","item":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/2020\/\/04\/#breadcrumbitem"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"23","item":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/2020\/\/04\/\/23\/#breadcrumbitem"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":4,"name":"Rearview analysis: COVID-19 is revealing blind spots in our businesses","item":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/2020\/04\/23\/covid-19-business-lessons\/#breadcrumbitem"}]}]