With many non-essential businesses closing their physical doors to the public over the past few weeks in accordance with provincial government requests, some are staying open, online – and are rethinking how they deliver their services.
Live Streaming
In an article published by Global News in 2018, it was found that popular musicians make almost 50 times the amount of their album sales from touring. To abide by our new social distancing etiquette, tours and concerts have been cancelled around the world. Live Nation Entertainment, a global entertainment company that promotes, operates, and manages ticket sales for live events, cancelled and postponed many of their concerts worldwide in early March.
As a means to continue to operate and show their support for their fans, many musicians have taken the show to the internet in an effort to still perform live via live streaming. Billboard is continuously updating their list of live streams and virtual concerts, while smaller artists are also taking to social media to show their support.
Numerous post-secondary institutions also made the switch to virtual classrooms utilizing the powers of live streaming, while the closure of museums and art galleries has also pushed them to offer digital, virtual experiences. CNN has curated a list of these virtual tours. Not a bad way to spend a day indoors.
Curbside and Non-Contact Delivery
Popular food delivery service, Skip the Dishes, recently adapted their practices to offer contactless delivery wherein a courier will leave your order at the doorstep to limit person-to-person contact.
Even some big box retailers are continuing to operate while limiting foot traffic in their stores. Major consumer electronics retailer, Best Buy, has closed its stores to customers, while orders can still be completed online with the option for curbside, store-front pickup.
Local business can use our help more than ever. Some have been forced to lay off staff, close their doors, while others are continuing to operate with a reduced team under shorter hours. Some restaurants and eateries are still producing great food for delivery in a move that is known as a ‘ghost kitchen,’ an operating restaurant for the sole purpose of online orders and delivery.
Other local stores, not in the food business, have managed to continue their operations with curbside pickup and new delivery options. These businesses include the likes of record shops, breweries, and sporting goods stores. Look out for local businesses in your area that are adapting to the situation via online and delivery methods.
Internet Bandwidth
Canadian internet service providers, Rogers, Bell, Telus, Videotron, Teksavvy, and Distributel, have all removed data overage charges for the immediate future. Something appreciated by Canadians, as we increasingly use more bandwidth while in isolation or working from home. Telus have also removed roaming charges until the end of April in countries with level three advisories in place such as China and Italy.
While, streaming services such as Netflix, announced that it has reduced streaming quality in an effort to reduce bandwidth use by as much as 25 per cent in Canada. Other streaming services are acting on Netflix’s measures. Bell Media’s Crave is planning its own bandwidth traffic measures. While, Disney, Amazon, and YouTube have also introduced bandwidth measures to ease the pressures on internet traffic in Europe.
Package Delivery
According to Adobe Analytics, online shopping has seen a surge in transactions since the beginning of March, due to, they suspect, an increase in anxiety. Virus protection products such as hand sanitizer, gloves, masks, and antibacterial sprays have seen an increase of 817 per cent. While, online purchases for toilet paper have spiked by 186 per cent.
Due to the increase in online shopping around the globe, Amazon recently announced its delay in shipping of non-essential items to free up its warehouses to package and deliver the items people need most. Some shipments have seen delays of up to one month. Entertainment media such as music and films have been affected by the delay, while video games seem to be still available within usual shipping times. Although the company has announced that video game pre-orders will not be delivered on release day.
Canada Post has also announced adjustments to their delivery of packages, wherein signatures are no longer required and they have adopted a ‘knock, drop and go’ approach to adhere to social distancing guidelines. Parcels requiring proof of age will automatically be sent to the nearest open post office for pick-up, while Canada Post has also removed the usual 15-day hold time to ensure packages can be received and are not returned to sender.
Going Digital
Many organizations are rapidly adapting to the situation by moving their work to virtual platforms, while their usual services are adapted to digital offerings where possible.
Much like post-secondary professors and instructors moving their classroom learning to an online environment, businesses like Avenue Living have transformed their services to a contactless model, doing their part to support social distancing.
AVENUE LIVING
Avenue Living is currently offering virtual viewing and digital lease agreements to minimize contact between their residents and their employees. While, these digital options assist with social distancing they are also offering weekly rent payments opposed to the usual monthly payment which may help those claiming financial assistance on a weekly basis.
Two teams have been composed to assist residents with anything they require. The Avenue Living Community Task Force is in place to help residents with things such as walking their dog or getting them groceries. Meanwhile, their Prairie Relief Team exists to aid residents with questions regarding their lease or safety of their home.
These two teams can be reached by the contact information below:
- Avenue Living Community Task Force: [email protected]
- Prairie Relief Team: [email protected] or 1-855-247-1492 ext. 5
