Home is much more than an entertainment hub. It has become a polymorphic space where we work, dine, play, get healthy and replicate outside world experiences. Pandemic confinement accelerated this pre-existing trend, and the home is now under pressure to become the primary – and for many, the only – venue for life’s various activities: work, learning, downtime, shopping, fitness, dining, rest, childcare, socialising, creativity, romance, and cultural nourishment. With the constant need for economical accommodation, particularly in cities, the home has to multitask and be more efficient with space than ever before.
Working from home is not a new phenomenon. In 2019, about 27 million Americans[i] and 13 million Europeans[ii] were already working remotely. However, the mass work-from-home experiment due to stay-at-home orders is making it a reality for millions more for the first time, and many companies have been forced to adapt to agile working almost overnight. What does this mean for the future of work? As cloud computing and collaboration tools such as Microsoft Teams have enabled many of us to work from home fairly seamlessly, the needs to occupy large costly office space in city centres and business travel are likely to come under scrutiny. After working from home for months, employees will expect flexible working arrangements with the option to work from home and minimise commuting.Home is also a place to pamper, and we expect beauty and care services performed at home to become a fast-growing category. With the rise of platform-based services such as blow LTD and Urban, there is no need to leave home for a haircut, a massage or a manicure. Beauty specialists will come directly to you. While such companies have not reached mass market levels yet, their platform models enable them to better understand their clients' individual wellness needs over time. Consequently, they will probably gain a competitive edge over independent or single-service salons to provide personalised beauty services to consumers.
