Businesses that prosper during a global pandemic...

[lfoo6952]

Have food delivery services been mentioned yet, like Instacart and DoorDash?

[Warren01]

I would imagine news media/outlets are doing ok. Plexiglass manufacturing and installation services.

[RP]

I just heard that sales of alcoholic beverages are up 55%....

[tbeltrans]

This is the headline on one of our local TV news sites:

Housing market going strong as companies adapt to COVID-19 restrictions

Apparently, some title companies have drive-through service and the various other companies involved in real estate transactions are finding ways to continue doing business.

Local car dealerships are finding ways to extend financing while allowing the the first couple of months to go by without payments. They are also advertising that you can pick out your car online, buy it online, and then the dealership delivers the car to your home.

Via email, I am getting various notices of sales involving online purchases. So it does seem that some businesses are finding ways to continue without shutting down entirely.

I suppose the temptation might be greater to buy, buy, buy out of sheer boredom of being cooped for weeks, if nothing else. For those with more self-control, it might be a good time to buy things you have been putting off, but were planning to buy when the price was right.

Tony

[Dru Edwards]

Originally Posted by RP

I just heard that sales of alcoholic beverages are up 55%....

Wow. Guessing a lot of that is hoarding.

There was talk a couple of weeks ago to close the liquor stores here but then it was changed that they are an essential business. The reason is that there are some people who without alcohol will go through withdrawals and end up in the hospital and more people in the hospital at this time isn't what we want.

[Steve DeRosa]

Originally Posted by Dru Edwards

Wow. Guessing a lot of that is hoarding...

Think again...

[imwjl]

Originally Posted by lfoo6952

Have food delivery services been mentioned yet, like Instacart and DoorDash?

We have a huge backlog of delivery and pickup business in our grocery stores. I did overhear the CFO tell the owner what I wondered. Don't be too excited and watch things closely. This has not been particularly profitable - just follow a few stocks. The rapid expansion we did meant new PCs, order picking gear 16 iPads for just two locations, vehicle rental or leasing, employee hazard pay.

Here's my hope. I don't know how all of you can find it locally. Public health inspectors in one of our locations said no store they've visited has done all we're doing for touch-free and our cleaning list and schedule. We've done a super job keeping inventory. We are hoping customers who can afford it will choose more local and independent firms when this is over. Before and now, it's not easy competing with Amazon, Wal-Mart and Starbucks.

Coincidentally, I have to leave now with some just reformatted iPads and go do and supervise hands on WiFi and network app troubleshooting for our delivery operations.