It’s like a collective feeling that 2020 will certainly be a memorable year as it was the start of the Covid pandemic. Times were uncertain and there was a lot of quick learning that all of humanity had to get on board with. We had to adapt to dealing with remote positions, and uncomfortable social situations, and we had to remind ourselves to change out of our pajamas from time to time.
With the pandemic came a shift towards living entirely indoors. Virtual learning and food delivery services were at their peak of usefulness and popularity. The same could be said for a particular delivery giant that we all have certainly relied on at one point or another.
Amazon
Founded in 1994 by Jeff Bezos, Amazon has established its place as a colossus corporation which seeks to provide, well, just about everything. What initially started as a smaller center for online shopping has grown to become the dominant force of nearly all online interactions. Need a new couch, lava lamp, toaster, kimono, and copy of your most recent fantasy novel obsession? Amazon is the place to go.
With lightning fast delivery options going up to same day delivery, it’s no surprise how much of an impact this company has had. Now take a company like this, and put it in the center of a world in need of contactless shopping options at near-emergency rates of delivery. The global Covid pandemic certainly placed a massive strain on the world with illness rampant and everyone struggling through lockdown. Services like Amazon, though, made hanging out indoors, well, not the worst. Comforts as soon as you need them are only a click away.
Amazon Prime
With all of that time stuck indoors, Amazon’s Prime subscription model became even more relevant. The Amazon Prime package gave access to lightning fast delivery options. They also offered discounts at various stores such as Whole Foods, and plenty of television to watch. If there was one silver lining to the pandemic, it was the perfect chance to chip away at our massive watch lists. Amazon’s streaming service, included with a Prime subscription, gave more ways for families to stay occupied as we waded through the confusion. This gave light to how integrated technology has become in our daily lives.
Many jobs had moved completely to being done remotely. Virtual meetings and interactions had become the standard. Online delivery services especially made getting all the supplies needed to get through it all that much more important. To put things into more concrete terms, Amazon’s growth in 2020 alone was by 38% in one year. Compare this to eBay’s 19% and we can see how rapid the ball started rolling for the industry. That’s nearly $100 billion worth of growth in a single year.
Pandemic
Needless to say, things were rough at the beginning of the pandemic. There was a lot of uncertainty and a whole lot of panic. We’ve had to rely on each other like never before. Hopefully, we created connections in the human experience that can bring us all together. It also took a collective shift to learn how to effectively use all of the digital means we had on hand to make sense of it all. If online shopping was a concern going into that year, it certainly didn’t get any better. Regardless, Amazon has certainly become a staple of daily life for many. Now good luck with that shopping cart full of slippers, masks, and groceries–you deserve it all!
