Retail shopping experiences will be different, no browsing, no trying on, no returns and yet we yearn for a return to this crazy habit that seems to increase the gratification we experience in separating ourselves from our hard-earned cash. The odd thing about our massive desire to shop with conditions is that for over 20 years e-commerce has successfully driven us away from the browse and try on culture and more towards browse and buy direct culture.

Why wait, when with a single click we can purchase the goods we want, and have the transaction confirmed with an SMS in seconds.

No masks, no sales assistance behind screens and no cash changing hands literally. Could it be that the retail experience has evolved into being a macro window shopping exercise but ultimately, we are more comfortable buying from behind our phones or laptops via text and click?

Perhaps a different story is the return to the nation’s obsession or rather passion! – Football. Whether you support Arsenal Liverpool or Norwich the return of the Premier league signifies that blood is returning to a numb limb all be it under peculiar circumstances. The concept of behind closed doors football will test the nations resolve as our favorite gladiators battle it out in empty arenas as every kick and call echoes across sixty thousand empty seats. In reality this will be a bigger adjustment for the players as fans have for years struggled to get to live matches.

Tickets are expensive and hard to get and as such most people stay at home and catch a game on the television. The home live game experience has improved immensely over a number of years, with better camera angles, superior commentary and punditry and enhanced preview and analysis ensuring staying at home is often the preferable experience, especially on a cold wet night in February.

A huge frustration for most football fans attending the live games is the lack of cell phone signal in the stadium and with today’s live , in play and plethora of gambling opportunities available the ability to send a text or an SMS in order to bet in real time from the comfort of your own home remains attractive.

As a country it is said the UK spends 11 months a year planning its next holiday. We live to leave and for the next few weeks and months that may not be an option. There is of course talk of sky bridges, mutual travel gateways and reciprocal strategy’s between nations. Ultimately however this year may see a huge decline in the number of texts what’s apps and SMS messages that show us living our best life. The obligatory cocktail under the palm tree, or pink flamingo in the pool shot could be replaced by the behind closed front door images taken at home and in the park as England holidays at home.

Club nights in Ibiza, Mediterranean cruises or jaunts around Disney parks will be replaced with BBQs at home and Digital Karaoke.

Things will return to normal; we will not live and operate behind closed doors for an eternity, but it does seem that for many years’ society has enjoyed the choice to remain behind closed doors. It’s often easier to hide from the world, to carry on being a part of conversation but to do so at a distance a socially acceptable distance.

There is no doubt that as we stumble towards 2021, we will continue to shop online, we will continue to bet on apps, we will continue to stream movies on Netflix instead of going to the cinema and what is for certain, we will break up with our girlfriends and boyfriends with and SMS. All from behind closed doors!