Life during the lockdown has turned the whole world upside down. The economic activity all over the world is low and some businesses that were once prosperous are not facing an uncertain future. However, for some industries, this pandemic has had an altogether different impact taking them to the next level.
As people stayed at home, the digital behaviour also increased thereby leading to a spike in the industries that promote internet-based activities. Given that public movement was restricted in many countries across the world and people had to stay at home, the below-mentioned industries have grown dramatically over recent months. Check it out it!
Streaming services witnessed a drastic rise
European viewers turned towards streaming services since the debut of lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Due to the unexpectedly drastic demand from consumers, streaming services had ditched the HD video streaming to save bandwidth.
Just Watch, an international streaming guide, which helps nearly 25 million users each month across 43 countries to find what to watch on streaming services such as Netflix, Amazon Prime, etc. The service claims that it has witnessed over 200% increase in traffic from the European countries since the implementation of the lockdown. As per the Just Watch tracker, the UK and Spain witnessed over 200% growth during the crisis and the same was around 130% in Germany. Popular streaming services in Europe include Spotify, Filmdoo, Cinesquare, Uncut, etc.
Video games industry reached record numbers
Video games have been downloaded and plated in record numbers during the COVID-19 pandemic all over the world. People have opted to the gaming industry to keep themselves occupied and distracted from the COVID-19 panic. Reports reveal that video gaming has turned out to be a popular means of entertainment among people as they stayed home.
Everything such as Twitch viewership, Steam user accounts, interactive entertainment, etc. has witnessed growth. A Statista report reveals that the video games segment accounts to $14,915 million in 2020 and is expected to grow at 2.2% by 2024 as the industry has witnessed historic growth during the COVID-19 crisis.
Notably, Europe has a vibrant video game industry with startups such as Klang Games, Rovio, Seemba, Valiant Game Studio, and more.
E-commerce flourished across categories
As a result of the coronavirus pandemic, people across the world are avoiding crowds and step out of their homes only when it is really necessary. This has increased the business for the e-commerce businesses all over the world irrespective of their specialisation. As per a recent survey by Salesforce Research, 36% of shoppers say that they will not turn to brick-and-mortar stores until there is a vaccine for coronavirus. And, almost 25% of shoppers opt for contactless delivery and payment options.
The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the e-commerce industry is such that there is a steady increase in the same. There are e-commerce companies that delivery food, groceries, medicines, essentials, clothing, wine, etc. to ensure people stay within their home and do not step out until its highly essential for them to do so. Some startups in the e-commerce and online industry based in Europe are Deliveroo, Just Eat Takeaway, Farfetch, Glovo, etc.
Lines between physical and digital classrooms blurred
COVID-19 pandemic has changed the face of learning and edtech completely. People across the world are experiencing the whole new concept of homeschooling wherein school and university going students are learning from their home with the help of technology. Notably, online education is experiencing a huge digital demand and adoption as people are coping up with the pandemic.
Gradually, the lines between physical and digital classrooms have blurred during the pandemic. And, many edtech startups in Europe have witnessed drastic growth of over 100% during the crisis include Brainly, CoachHub, Stemi, etc.
Sustainable mobility bounced back
Though Europe is relaxing restrictions issued during the COVID-19 pandemic, it will not be easy for businesses to bounce back to normal quickly. It won’t be an exaggeration to say that COVID-19 has completely transformed urban mobility and is remodelling the same. People prefer private transport than public transportation options and are using bikes, e-scooters, etc.
While mobility services have been severely limited in many countries during the crisis, it calls for a reassessment and a shift to more sustainable and efficient mobility as it tackles air pollution by reducing carbon emissions and congestion. And, various governments are promoting sustainable mobility to keep pollution levels low.
A report by Bike and Scooter Rental estimates the global bike and scooter rental market to witness a growth taking it to $7 billion by 2026. And, e-mobility startups such as Tier Mobility, ZeeWay, Packaly, etc. are trying their best to take this industry to the next level.
Stock photo from Romeo Pj/Shutterstock
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