What: Even though offices remain now half-empty, the use of public transportation in London is surpassing the 2019 levels when it comes to entertainment.

Why it is important: Department Stores, which are located in the heart of the cities, need to adapt, with matching product offers and opening times. Aligning the office hour is no longer relevant, which raises some questions when it comes to being able to recruit a new generation of salespersons willing to work during different hours.

The Financial Times argues that, while remote working is here to stay, customers are also changing their habits to spend the same amount of time and money in cities than before, even though they are not commuting there for professional reasons. People are not willing to go back to cramped trains every morning and evening, but are perfectly willing to entertain themselves: morning rush hours in the underground have halved compared with prepandemic levels, but the number of people using the subway late in the evening is almost back to normal. The author argues that, while offices are half-empty, attendance to football matches and restaurants or pub bookings are now higher than in 2019.

This trend has been witnessed in many cities across the planet, showing that customers are slowly adapting and creating new consuming and commuting habits.

Death notices for the city are premature