As we move into the final months of the most abnormal year in modern history, many are tentatively predicting a return to some semblance of normality in 2021.
Much of this is predicated on the assumption that a vaccine will arrive during the course of the year, together with better therapeutics and better social adaption to the disease. Is this optimistic?
It feels likely to get darker before the dawn. As the nights draw in, a second viral wave is developing, together with job losses and economic damage.
The focus on COVID-19 also masks other major world events, including the small matters of Brexit and the US election. If things do ‘get back to normal’ in 2021, one wonders whether this will be the old one, or instead the ‘new normal’ that we keep hearing about.
Our experts offer their view of the year ahead, and how much change we might expect to see over the next 14 months.
Greg Mansell, Head of UK Research & Insight highlights that in 2021 we’ll be in a margins game, in Outlook for 2021: Small Prizes and Big Penalties.
Also impacting the risk landscape next year will be Brexit. We asked Warwick Smith, Senior Managing Partner of Instinctif Partners’ global Public Policy practice to update us on the situation for businesses in Deal or No Deal – What you need to know about Brexit.
As we enter another lockdown we’ll all be relying on some of the new models retailers have had to set up to continue to survive; in Retail & Supply Chain, Paul Durkin, Head of UK & Ireland Retail looks at how retailers have had to adapt and in turn what that means for investment models.
It’s not just retailers having to adapt, we all are. In Locked Down and Locked In Richard Pickering, Chief Strategy Officer, UK asks ‘How might the next year rewire behaviours forever?'
One sector benefiting from us having to adapt is technology. In An Acceleration of Innovation our technology experts, Chris Hancocks, Head of Futures Digital and Ross Hodges, Global Innovation Hub – Head of EMEA, look at the impact of technology on real estate.
Finally, Head of UK & Ireland, George Roberts takes a positive look at How 2021 Will Reshape Real Estate Industry.
Please do get in touch; we stand ready to help you navigate through these uncertain times.
