As store closures and other specific developments continue around the world, we ask how the post-virus world will look.

First, it is clear that COVID19 is taking hold at very different rates in different places: not only is it developing gradually from region to region and country to country, but the different government measures are contributing to slowing the spread at very different rates. These can be characterized by a continuum with laissez faire at one end (with hopes of benefiting from "herd immunity") to authoritarian intervention ("for the greater good") at the other. Popular responses have varied similarly from cooperation (such as neighbourhood initiatives), to individual survival mode (with hoarding, or arms sales spiking in the US).

A number of commentators are speculating that we should expect changes in the future and that neither business nor life generally will return to "pre-virus" normal. We have been aware for some time already of trends developing to cope with uncertainty, volatility, unpredictability. These include developing agile structures and methods, flexibility, digitalisation, quick fulfilment and response, localism, and others. The recent virus outbreak and its impact has put the spotlight on another trend, fear, with a number of associated responses, such as security, privacy, wellness and sustainability as well as an acceleration of some of the already noted trends.

The Financial Times has argued that an already existing trend towards the "decoupling" of the global economy has been accelerated, and will speed up responses such as localism, with an associated risk to tech standards and communication across borders. The disputes over 5G and Huawei, and control over tech governance are a case in point.

A recent report by WGSN takes up a number of other trends:

• The search for security through, for example, "support" brands; and the renewed interest in privacy in view of the need for a degree of central control, which reopens the question of data trading.
• Digitalisation is accelerating as administrative and professional lives shift towards the virtual. This spike in demand has an impact on fulfilment, already a major issue which has perhaps not been sufficiently addressed yet; and the changing role of homes with home offices and the definition of borders between work and home.
• Sustainability has taken on even greater importance as pollution rates are seen to fall with confinement, thus opening the door to further potential measures in the future; and re-use out of necessity demonstrates how possible it actually is.
• Isolation, both emotional and physical, are also experienced as increasing temporarily and which can be compensated by cooperation and caring, leading to a search for more meaning, localism, and wellness in the broad sense.

These issues call for a different type of management and leadership. BCG in the Harvard Business Review make a number of suggestions:

• The importance of reactivity, reassessment and updating information as well as responses
• Keeping an eye on the big picture and not drowning in details
• Stick to evidence-based measures and beware forecasts
• Keep bureaucracy to a minimum
• Make sure responses are balanced and take all possible interests into account
• Ensure a flexible structure able to deal with rapid response
• And prepare for the future crisis (which will certainly happen), and learn the lessons from this one