Will the abrupt, pandemic-induced e-commerce shift reshape retail’s future?

Retail merchants of all sizes across all regions of the world adapted to the pandemic by moving more of their sales online.
Illustration of a bar chart showing the share of firms that increased online sales and their use of online sales channels. See image description.
Bar chart showing the share of firms that increased online sales and their use of online sales channels in 2020 relative to 2019 in two series for small and medium sized retailers and large retailers across seven different countries. Among the small and medium sized retailers, 25% increased their online business in Canada, 19% did in the U.K., 14% in the U.S., 10% in Australia, 7% in Brazil, 4% in South Africa, and 4% in Singapore. Among the large retailers, 34% increased their online business in Canada, 24% did in the U.K., 19% in the U.S., 14% in Australia, 23% in Brazil, 10% in South Africa, and 12% in Singapore.