How We're Adapting

One of my major thesis during this crisis is that we would begin adapting our behavior as we learned more about Covid and that would be a major driver on turning the economy around.  I know the headlines and new case counts are horrendous but lost underneath all of this are some very solid adaptive policies that are starting to occur.  Here's a few.

Hand sanitizer:  At the beginning of the crisis the public didn't know anything about face masks while hand sanitizer and wipes were sold out.  Bleach wipes are still not so easy to find but you can buy hand sanitizer by the gallon now.  There's not a single business or public building that doesn't have copious amounts of the stuff on hand.  We've been to outdoors events where the hosts have it on the tables as a matter of courtesy.  If you can't find ways to sterilize your hands when you go out then you need to have your eyes checked.

Masks:  Forget the political and scientific debate about masks.  Businesses are already ahead of the curve.  Walmart, Target, Costco, Starbucks and many more all mandate the use of masks in their stores.  They do this for the simple reason that they want you to feel safe so you'll come to their buildings and spend money.  Small businesses at least around here are following suit.  Office buildings, same.  

Social distancing:  Everybody is trying to reposition space to enable social distancing.  Grocery stores mandate one way aisles.  You have to stand six feet apart while waiting to pay.  Plexiglass on counters is everywhere now.  Stores originally did this for public health mandates.  Now, again, they're doing it because they want you to feel safe.  It's good business for them and performs a public services.  Public spaces are being repositioned so that restaurants can have outside dining.  In the north this is a stop gap measure as the shelf life for outside eating in Chicago may be at a maximum early November {with the help of heating lamps} but at least for now it's getting the wheels of commerce moving in the right direction.  Also the public is figuring out how to use the outdoors for social events.  Churches now perform services outside.  Sometimes under tents with fans.

Schools:  Schools are trying to figure out how to reopen.  Cameras are being installed that follow teachers around in a classroom so life can go on even if schools are forced to close down again for some period of time this year.

Some of these changes may be temporary but a lot will be incorporated into life as we know it going forward.  It's hard for me to imagine the plexiglass ever going away in stores even if it will eventually look better.  But it is getting the economy moving again.  That progression may be in fits and starts but it's an improvement over what we had a few months ago.  It's also probably one of the reasons the stock market has been sniffing out a recovery these past few months.

*Walmart, Target, Costco and Starbucks are components of ETFs we own in client and personal accounts.