views, concerned about the implications
for individual liberty.
We’re yet to know whether the “post-
COVID-19” period – if, indeed, the coronavirus
ever really “leaves” our societies or collective
consciousness – will be one of “Roaring
Twenties” hedonism, or instead one where pre-
pandemic trends of self-suiciency, localization
and sustainability ind fresh momentum. Or
to put it in the words of Liganova managing
partner Dr Marc Schumacher, “the question
is whether people will maintain and internalize
crisis-time behaviors or actively rebel against
and reject them.”
Dr Schumacher was speaking with particular
reference to the attitudes of citizens as
consumers, and posited that “of course, the real
outcome may lie somewhere between the two.”
Regardless, with regard to the retail landscape
and broader digital transformation alike, it may
be most instructive to put ourselves in mind of
the sci-i author William Gibson’s famous quote:
“The future has arrived – it’s just not evenly
distributed yet.”
What we mean when we say this, is that while
the aforementioned adventurous claims for
the future of post-pandemic technology
are likely to be borne out in certain sectors
and parts of the world, in other regions,
such “techno-optimism” may seem less than
realistic. It’s all so easy for the digital “haves” –
those experimenting with the possibilities of
augmented reality (AR) and machine learning –
to forget about the digital “have-nots” who are
still getting to grips with smartphones, never
mind smart homes.