Where Will The Bounce Come From??

I went into town earlier today. To do a bit of shopping. Sainsbury's. Ooh. Anyway, it was the first time I'd been in town since the start of the lock down and I was quite astounded how quiet it was. Obviously I knew it would be largely shut down, but still I expected a few more feet on the ground given we're now into week four and people are getting a little bit fed up moping around the house.

It was quite a depressing experience. I'm by no means an expert on economics so I won't try to make any predictions. However, I can't help but wonder where a "bounce back" will come from if we do start opening up again. People's shopping habits will have changed in this period. That may continue a little while. Many people will also still be apprehensive because of the virus. (Some folks have really been whipped up into quite a panic about it). So they may only start dipping their toes back into the water. Slowly easing themselves back into regular behaviour like visiting cafes or browsing clothing departments.

So I'm a little worried.

The decline of high streets was a major concern for towns and cities before the crisis hit. How will they cope now? Especially if there's continued uncertainty about "second waves", etc.

Also it'll be interesting to see if areas, be it in the UK or elsewhere, get a huge advantage from any extra confidence or 'braveness' they show in comparison to more germophobic areas.