My usual barber—Jimmy, who I’ve written about before—was closed earlier this week, so I tried a new place.
I went to a place in a downtown, office-riddled part of the city. The barber and I started chatting, and we quickly got to how they fared during the pandemic, and what it’s been like since the UK has re-opened.
Sadly, they’re still struggling. With many people embracing hybrid working, and fewer people returning to the office than they anticipated, this year is make or break for them. They’re in limbo. They don’t know how things are going to play out.
For the most part, the way I live my life is now very similar to pre-pandemic life. But it’s moments like these that make me realise there are second and third order consequences from the pandemic that are still being felt by people and businesses. And how there is still an arduous and uncertain road ahead for many.
It’s an important thing to keep in mind when we think about where we shop, and from whom we buy.