Introduction

The COVID-19 pandemic came on rather suddenly and then went on for much longer than most of us anticipated. Even at the time of writing this piece, the pandemic seems far from over.

Amid such circumstances, several industries went through a complete transformation. It would be safe to say that the pandemic changed these industries forever. Below we look at some of these industries.

1.Airline industry

For months on end, airlines remained shut worldwide. Commercial passenger operations were practically down to zero. Barring the movement of goods and essential services and/or personnel, there was hardly any activity in the sky.

While air travel, to a large extent, has come back to normalcy, it is unlikely to witness its pre-pandemic days very soon. Fares have simply skyrocketed and are likely to remain high for the foreseeable future. Airlines would also remain watchful of the COVID scenario and the humongous losses they suffered due to it.

2.Restaurant industry

Dining out, especially in popular crowded restaurants became practically nonexistent due to the pandemic. Restaurants became wary of crowded spaces. The emphasis was more on take-away than on dine-in. Even the ones that allowed dine-in had to be conscious of minimal occupancy with sufficient gaps between seats.

This industry is unlikely to come back to its pre-pandemic heydays anytime soon. People have got used to the convenience of ordering in rather than going out. The phenomenon of “cloud kitchens” has especially taken off, largely due to the pandemic.

3.Adult toys industry

The adult toys industry witnessed a dramatic surge due to the pandemic. People were compelled to maintain distance among themselves. Single folks were especially driven towards sex toys in a big way, to add spice to their mundane sex lives. Many who had not discovered the pleasure offered by sex dolls, for example, now began doing so.

According to Wonder Doll, the number of customers increased significantly during the pandemic. This surge is likely to continue, irrespective of the way the pandemic goes. For a lot of folks, this is an erogenous high they had not experienced previously. Having done so now, there is clearly no looking back for them.

4.Teleconferencing industry

While on one hand, teleconferencing was already an established phenomenon before the pandemic, its usage increased exponentially once travel restrictions came into force. Services like Zoom especially became a household name since across industries, business correspondence was largely being done on it.

Many people realize that business travel, especially for meetings, was not always compulsory. Matters related to such discussions could always be mulled over virtually. Personal physical presence was not mandatory. This surge in the use of teleconferencing enablers, be it hardware or software, is likely to continue in the foreseeable future.

5.Movie industry

The movie industry, especially when it comes to going out and watching cinema in theaters, came to a virtual standstill during the pandemic. Movie halls were practically shut worldwide for a prolonged period of time. Yet, this did not necessarily translate to losses for the movie makers since they pivoted to streaming platforms like Netflix, Amazon, or Disney, etc.

However, movie exhibitors such as theater chains or Multiplex owners did lose out big time. No matter which way the pandemic goes, they are unlikely to see the kind of crowds they were witness to, before the pandemic.

Conclusion

The pandemic clearly affected several industries, many for the worse. Yet, as they say, every cloud has a silver lining. In this case, it can safely be asserted that among other industries, the adult toys and the teleconferencing industries did thrive due to the pandemic. As we foresee, both the ups and the downs seen across industries are likely to continue, irrespective of the way the pandemic goes.